Laboratory and pilot-scale trials

Contact
  1. Danish Technological Institute
  2. Services
  3. Climate and environment
  4. Laboratory and pilot-scale trials
Anders Lambæk

Your Contact

Contact me

Indtast venligst et validt navn
Or your phone number
?
Thank you for your message
Vi beklager

På grund af en teknisk fejl kan din henvendelse desværre ikke modtages i øjeblikket. Du er velkommen til at skrive en mail til Send e-mail eller ringe til +45 72 20 26 89.

Laboratory and pilot-scale trials

 

In laboratory and pilot-scale trials, it is possible to test the effects of different products, technologies and strategies in a controlled or semi-controlled environment before they are tested on a larger scale – whether in field trials, commercial storage or on-farm production.

Laboratory trials make it possible to isolate and evaluate the modes of action and effects of a product or technology under specific parameters, such as soil conditions and climatic factors. This enables the validation of theories and models using actual data, helping to identify the most promising solutions early in the development process.

Pilot-scale trials simulate realistic, practical conditions on a smaller scale – either in the form of controlled mesocosms (controlled environments) with whole plants, or in storage systems that reflect commercial conditions. This allows for the identification of challenges and the fine-tuning of processes before investing in full-scale implementation, thereby ensuring a more cost-effective development process.

Across our various experimental setups, we can assess environmental impact by measuring emissions of the key greenhouse gases CO2, CH4 and N2O, thereby providing comprehensive CO2 equivalent assessments of treatments and strategies. In addition, we can measure, for example, nutrient loss through leaching and assess nutrient retention, providing a holistic picture of the environmental profile of a given solution.

We offer, among other things:

  • Laboratory trials, which are used to test how plants are affected by different treatments and environmental factors. These can be used to document the effects of, for example, biostimulants, soil treatments, fertilisation strategies and environmental factors such as climate change.
  • Controlled mesocosm trials, which can bridge the gap between the laboratory and the field. In our pilot facility, products and treatments are tested on whole plants under controlled, realistic conditions – for example, to determine whether a biological effect persists at the plant level, to compare responses across different varieties, or to screen for undesired effects such as phytotoxicity and leaching risk. This provides a solid basis for decision-making before investing in full-scale field trials.
  • Barrel trials, which make it possible to study biological processes in stored biomass (e.g. slurry and compost), the effect of different treatments (e.g. slurry additives), and the impact of various physical and climatic parameters on emissions and nutrient loss.
  • Pilot-scale trials with biomass storage, which are scaled-up versions of barrel trials, allowing work with significantly larger quantities of biomass in systems that mimic commercial conditions. Here, it is possible to compare different types of slurry and treatments under more realistic conditions.