BACKGROUND AND AIMS: We sought to explore the interactions between roots and soil without disturbance and in four dimensions (i.e. 3-D plus time) using X-ray micro-computed tomography. METHODS: The roots of tomato Solanum lycopersicum 'Ailsa Craig' plants were visualized in undisturbed soil columns for 10 consecutive days to measure the effect of soil compaction on selected root traits including elongation rate. Treatments included bulk density (1.2 vs. 1.6 g cm(-3)) and soil type (loamy sand vs. clay loam). KEY RESULTS: Plants grown at the higher soil bulk density exploited smaller soil volumes (P < 0.05) and exhibited reductions in root surface area (P < 0.001), total root volume (P < 0.001) and total root length (P < 0.05), but had a greater mean root diameter (P < 0.05) than at low soil bulk density. Swelling of the root tip area was observed in compacted soil (P < 0.05) and the tortuosity of the root path was also greater (P < 0.01). Root elongation rates varied greatly during the 10-d observation period (P < 0.001), increasing to a maximum at day 2 before decreasing to a minimum at day 4. The emergence of lateral roots occurred later in plants grown in compacted soil (P < 0.01). Novel rooting characteristics (convex hull volume, centroid and maximum width), measured by image analysis, were successfully employed to discriminate treatment effects. The root systems of plants grown in compacted soil had smaller convex hull volumes (P < 0.05), a higher centre of mass (P < 0.05) and a smaller maximum width than roots grown in uncompacted soil. CONCLUSIONS: Soil compaction adversely affects root system architecture, influencing resource capture by limiting the volume of soil explored. Lateral roots formed later in plants grown in compacted soil and total root length and surface area were reduced. Root diameter was increased and swelling of the root tip occurred in compacted soil.
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: We sought to explore the interactions between roots and soil without disturbance and in four dimensions (i.e. 3-D plus time) using X-ray micro-computed tomography. METHODS: The roots of tomatoSolanum lycopersicum 'Ailsa Craig' plants were visualized in undisturbed soil columns for 10 consecutive days to measure the effect of soil compaction on selected root traits including elongation rate. Treatments included bulk density (1.2 vs. 1.6 g cm(-3)) and soil type (loamy sand vs. clay loam). KEY RESULTS: Plants grown at the higher soil bulk density exploited smaller soil volumes (P < 0.05) and exhibited reductions in root surface area (P < 0.001), total root volume (P < 0.001) and total root length (P < 0.05), but had a greater mean root diameter (P < 0.05) than at low soil bulk density. Swelling of the root tip area was observed in compacted soil (P < 0.05) and the tortuosity of the root path was also greater (P < 0.01). Root elongation rates varied greatly during the 10-d observation period (P < 0.001), increasing to a maximum at day 2 before decreasing to a minimum at day 4. The emergence of lateral roots occurred later in plants grown in compacted soil (P < 0.01). Novel rooting characteristics (convex hull volume, centroid and maximum width), measured by image analysis, were successfully employed to discriminate treatment effects. The root systems of plants grown in compacted soil had smaller convex hull volumes (P < 0.05), a higher centre of mass (P < 0.05) and a smaller maximum width than roots grown in uncompacted soil. CONCLUSIONS: Soil compaction adversely affects root system architecture, influencing resource capture by limiting the volume of soil explored. Lateral roots formed later in plants grown in compacted soil and total root length and surface area were reduced. Root diameter was increased and swelling of the root tip occurred in compacted soil.
Authors: Saoirse R Tracy; Jeremy A Roberts; Colin R Black; Ann McNeill; Rob Davidson; Sacha J Mooney Journal: J Exp Bot Date: 2010-01-04 Impact factor: 6.992
Authors: Anjali S Iyer-Pascuzzi; Olga Symonova; Yuriy Mileyko; Yueling Hao; Heather Belcher; John Harer; Joshua S Weitz; Philip N Benfey Journal: Plant Physiol Date: 2010-01-27 Impact factor: 8.340
Authors: A Glyn Bengough; M Fraser Bransby; Joachim Hans; Stephen J McKenna; Tim J Roberts; Tracy A Valentine Journal: J Exp Bot Date: 2005-11-29 Impact factor: 6.992
Authors: Christopher N Topp; Anjali S Iyer-Pascuzzi; Jill T Anderson; Cheng-Ruei Lee; Paul R Zurek; Olga Symonova; Ying Zheng; Alexander Bucksch; Yuriy Mileyko; Taras Galkovskyi; Brad T Moore; John Harer; Herbert Edelsbrunner; Thomas Mitchell-Olds; Joshua S Weitz; Philip N Benfey Journal: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A Date: 2013-04-11 Impact factor: 11.205
Authors: Ni Jiang; Eric Floro; Adam L Bray; Benjamin Laws; Keith E Duncan; Christopher N Topp Journal: Plant Cell Date: 2019-05-23 Impact factor: 11.277
Authors: Eric D Rogers; Daria Monaenkova; Medhavinee Mijar; Apoorva Nori; Daniel I Goldman; Philip N Benfey Journal: Plant Physiol Date: 2016-05-16 Impact factor: 8.340
Authors: Susan Zappala; Jonathan R Helliwell; Saoirse R Tracy; Stefan Mairhofer; Craig J Sturrock; Tony Pridmore; Malcolm Bennett; Sacha J Mooney Journal: PLoS One Date: 2013-06-26 Impact factor: 3.240