Design and deployment of a regulation-compliant infrared heating system for UK field trials.

Free-air warming systems are essential for simulating climate change in field conditions, yet most are not designed to meet UK or EU health and safety standards. We present the design and field deployment of a hexagonal Temperature-Free Air Controlled Enhancement (T-FACE) system that fully complies with these regulations. The system uses real-time, temperature-responsive control with multiple sensors to maintain a consistent temperature differential between heated and ambient temperature experimental plots. We describe its engineering design, performance, costs, and key operational challenges, particularly related to heater reliability under continuous use. We tested the T-FACE system during the winter months of a field sown wheat crop. Phenotypic evaluation showed effects of heating on heading date, plant height, spike length, and spikelet number, suggesting the system potential. This proof-of-concept provides a scalable, regulation-compliant approach for studying crop responses to climate warming under realistic field conditions.