Director: Ioannis Tsiros, Professor

Objectives:

The Laboratory of General and Agricultural Meteorology originates from the separation of the Laboratory of Physics and Agricultural Meteorology, which was founded in 1920 and constituted the first “Meteorological Laboratory” within an Educational Institution in the country. The Laboratory began operating simultaneously with the establishment of the University in the form of the School of Agriculture back in the early 1920.

Today the Laboratory addresses the educational and research needs in specialized fields of Meteorology and Climatology, such as Agricultural Meteorology, Micrometeorology-Microclimatology, Agrometeorology, Bioclimatology of Urban and Agricultural Environments, Topoclimatology, Agroclimatology, Hydroclimatology and Hydrology, among others.

The Laboratory is engaged in research activities in the following areas:

• Research and study of weather and climate in relation to plant and animal organisms, the effect of meteorological parameters on the action of growth regulators in plants, as well as adverse weather phenomena
• Research and study of the urban microclimate and bioclimate through in situ measurements and the application of appropriate mathematical models that simulate urban microclimate conditions, with particular emphasis on urban greenery and its interaction with the urban built environment. These studies focus on numerous outdoor and semi-outdoor spaces in various neighborhoods—mainly in Athens but also in other cities in Greece and abroad—within the framework of international competitive programs. Simultaneously, well-structured questionnaires are conducted among visitors of these spaces regarding human thermal sensation and discomfort levels.
• Research, study, and evaluation of microclimatic and bioclimatic parameters and their spatiotemporal assessment in agricultural and natural areas, with emphasis on semi-mountainous and mountainous regions
• Research and study of the role of microclimatic and topoclimatic conditions in the phenological behavior of plants and the development of risk models for crop protection.
• Research and development of mathematical models for the spatiotemporal assessment of meteorological fire risk in various regions of Greece.
• Research and study of long-term changes in the “aridity index” and other climatic and bioclimatic indices and parameters related to water availability for crops and natural vegetation in Greece and, in general, in the Eastern Mediterranean. This is based on the compilation and analysis of long-term data series (over 100 years) from ground-based meteorological stations whereas at the same time, uncertainties in the climatic classification of regions—arising from the use of gridded data and different methods for determining potential evapotranspiration—are evaluated and quantified.
• Research and study—through in situ measurements and mathematical models—of the environmental impacts on ‘sensitive’ and vulnerable ecosystems and agricultural areas from airborne pollutants (e.g., the case of airborne mercury in the Everglades ecosystem in Florida, USA, and in various U.S. hydrological basins; the case of fluoride in Aspra Spitia, Viotia (Greece); the case of lead in the Lavrion area, Attiki (Greec) etc)

Infrastructure – equipment:

The Laboratory has a technological and laboratory infrastructure to support research topics with particular emphasis on the agricultural, forestry and urban environment. It has two integrated and fully equipped mobile meteorological station units, a portable meteorological station unit with adaptation for use on a vehicle, a high-resolution thermal camera, a number of autonomous temperature and relative humidity recorders, series of portable instruments, field instruments and laboratory infrastructure of classical meteorological instruments. The Laboratory operates and maintains the historic Classical First Class Station in its current form as well as an Automatic Telemetric Meteorological Station (A.T.M.S.). A second A.T.M.S. operates in the area of ​​the classical station and mainly covers research needs in the context of agrometeorological and bioclimatic experiments. At the same time, the Laboratory has the supervision and scientific responsibility for the operation of three Automatic Meteorological Stations in the mountainous area of ​​the Municipality of Nafpaktia.

Director: Dimitrios Bilalis, Professor, Dr., Dr. H. C. 

Objectives:

The Laboratory of Agronomy (formerly the Laboratory of General & Special Agriculture) is one of the first to be established at the Highest Agricultural School of Athens (1920). 

The objectives of the Laboratory of Agriculture are teaching and research on issues related to field crops. In particular, the study of all factors that affect crop production (aerial environment - soil - biological material) and the development of appropriate interventions for qualitative and quantitative optimization of production. In addition, the detailed study of the biology and applied cultivation techniques in individual field crops (cereals, legumes, industrial, aromatic and pharmaceutical, energy plants, etc.). Also, the biology, ecology and management of weeds, innovative crops, precision agriculture as well as the principles and technology of organic, integrated and regenerative agriculture as well as agroecology are included in the topics of the Laboratory.

Infrastructure - equipment:

The infrastructure of the Laboratory of Agronomy includes classrooms, a library and study-research areas to meet the educational and research needs of undergraduate and postgraduate students.

Specifically, the Laboratory has 4 class rooms of 175 m², with a capacity of 30-50 students each, adequately equipped with appropriate audiovisual material and laboratory instruments for conducting measurements. Supplementary research and teaching work is provided in the Laboratory's field, of approximately 0.8 ha (8,000 m²), which houses 5 plastic greenhouses of 150 m² and a glass greenhouse of 250 m². Large-scale field experimentation is carried out on the University's farms in the areas of Kopaida and Gialos, Spata.

The laboratory equipment includes two controlled plant growth chambers, incubators, freezers, horizontal filamentous flow hoods, microscopes, stereoscopes, pyrometers, leaf area meters, DT-scan for root measurements, precision scales, chlorophyll fluorimeter, NDVI sensors, PAR measuring device, SPAD measuring device, moisture measuring devices, penetrometers, infrared thermometry and pH meters, spectrophotometers, flame photometers, oil presses, etc. In addition, the Laboratory has a large collection of weeds (herbarium) and their seeds, propagation material of field crops (cereals, legumes, industrial plants, biomass plants, aromatic and medicinal plants, forage species, innovative crops, etc.)

Director: Pinelopi Bebeli, Professor

Objectives:

The Laboratory of Plant Breeding and Biometry was founded in 1978 and it is located in the first floor of Papadakis building.

Research interests include:

• Development of new and improved plant varieties.
• Development and exploitation of conventional plant breeding methodology.
• Development and exploitation of molecular breeding methodology including genetic mapping, marker assisted selection and fingerprinting.
• Biotechnological approaches in plant breeding, including in vitro culture techniques and genetic engineering.
• Management of phytogenetic resources, including collection, evaluation and description of the genetic material using conventional and molecular methods.
• Application of experimental design methodology in agricultural research.

Infrastructure – equipment:

The Laboratory includes four rooms for laboratorial research and administration offices.

Additional research and teaching work is provided in relevant laboratory installations, in a field of about 1000 m², as well as in a plastic greenhouse of about 250 m², in a small glass greenhouse and in two growth chambers, alllocated in the University Campus.

Larger scale experimentation is conducted in University owned fields in the regions of Kopaida and Spata.