Abstract:
The morphology of roots and root systems influences the
efficiency by which plants acquire nutrients and water,
anchor themselves and provide stability to the surrounding
soil. Plant genotype and the biotic and abiotic environment
significantly influence root morphology, growth and ultimately crop yield. The challenge for researchers interested in
phenotyping root systems is, therefore, not just to measure
roots and link their phenotype to the plant genotype, but also
to understand how the growth of roots is influenced by their
environment. This review discusses progress in quantifying
root system parameters (e.g. in terms of size, shape and
dynamics) using imaging and image analysis technologies
and also discusses their potential for providing a better
understanding of root:soil interactions. Significant progress
has been made in image acquisition techniques, however
trade-offs exist between sample throughput, sample size,
image resolution and information gained. All of these factors
impact on downstream image analysis processes. While there
have been significant advances in computation power, limitations still exist in statistical processes involved in image
analysis. Utilizing and combining different imaging systems,
integrating measurements and image analysis where possible,
and amalgamating data will allow researchers to gain a better
understanding of root:soil interactions
