title: Evolving technologies for growing, imaging and analyzing 3D root system architecture of crop plants.
abstract: A plant's ability to maintain or improve its yield under limiting conditions, such as nutrient deficiency or drought, can be strongly influenced by root system architecture (RSA), the three-dimensional distribution of the different root types in the soil. The ability to image, track and quantify these root system attributes in a dynamic fashion is a useful tool in assessing desirable genetic and physiological root traits. Recent advances in imaging technology and phenotyping software have resulted in substantive progress in describing and quantifying RSA. We have designed a hydroponic growth system which retains the three-dimensional RSA of the plant root system, while allowing for aeration, solution replenishment and the imposition of nutrient treatments, as well as high-quality imaging of the root system. The simplicity and flexibility of the system allows for modifications tailored to the RSA of different crop species and improved throughput. This paper details the recent improvements and innovations in our root growth and imaging system which allows for greater image sensitivity (detection of fine roots and other root details), higher efficiency, and a broad array of growing conditions for plants that more closely mimic those found under field conditions.
authors.affiliation: USDA-ARS, Robert Holley Center for Agriculture and Health, 538 Tower Road, Ithaca, NY 14580, USA.
authors.forename: Miguel A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Piñeros
authors.affiliation: USDA-ARS, Robert Holley Center for Agriculture and Health, 538 Tower Road, Ithaca, NY 14580, USA.
authors.forename: Brandon G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Larson
authors.affiliation: USDA-ARS, Robert Holley Center for Agriculture and Health, 538 Tower Road, Ithaca, NY 14580, USA.
authors.forename: Jon E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Shaff
authors.affiliation: USDA-ARS, Robert Holley Center for Agriculture and Health, 538 Tower Road, Ithaca, NY 14580, USA.
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.affiliation: Department of Information Systems, Institute of Computing, University of Campinas, Av. Albert Einstein, 1251, CEP 13083-852, Campinas, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Alexandre Xavier
authors.initials: AX
authors.lastname: Falcão
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Nutrition, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.
authors.forename: Lixing
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.affiliation: USDA-ARS, Robert Holley Center for Agriculture and Health, 538 Tower Road, Ithaca, NY 14580, USA.
authors.forename: Randy T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.affiliation: USDA-ARS, Robert Holley Center for Agriculture and Health, 538 Tower Road, Ithaca, NY 14580, USA.
authors.forename: Eric J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Craft
authors.affiliation: USDA-ARS, Robert Holley Center for Agriculture and Health, 538 Tower Road, Ithaca, NY 14580, USA.
authors.forename: Tyler W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.affiliation: USDA-ARS, Robert Holley Center for Agriculture and Health, 538 Tower Road, Ithaca, NY 14580, USA.
authors.forename: Pierre-Luc
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Pradier
authors.affiliation: USDA-ARS, Robert Holley Center for Agriculture and Health, 538 Tower Road, Ithaca, NY 14580, USA.
authors.forename: Nathanael M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
authors.forename: Ithipong
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Assaranurak
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
authors.forename: Susan R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: McCouch
authors.affiliation: Centre for Plant Integrative Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, LE12 5RD, UK.
authors.forename: Craig
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sturrock
authors.affiliation: Centre for Plant Integrative Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, LE12 5RD, UK.|College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Malcolm
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bennett
authors.affiliation: USDA-ARS, Robert Holley Center for Agriculture and Health, 538 Tower Road, Ithaca, NY 14580, USA.
authors.forename: Leon V
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Kochian
mesh_terms: D018556:Crops, Agricultural / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000254:growth & development*; D005838:Genotype; D018527:Hydroponics / Q000379:methods*; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D012275:Oryza / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000254:growth & development*; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial; D012987:Soil; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial; D012987:Soil; C048288:gellan gum
keywords: Abiotic stress; digital root phenotyping; mineral nutrition; root system architecture