A comparison of minirhizotron, core and monolith methods for quantifying barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and fababean (Vicia faba L.) root distribution

Heeraman, D. A.; Juma, N. G.

doi:10.1007/bf02185382

Cited by 83 publications

(50 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…This may be due to an alteration of the physical properties of soils at the interface between soil and minirhizotron tubes, as suggested by Parker et al (1991) in their study on potato fields. Similar problems have also been reported in field studies of barley and faba bean (Heeraman and Juma 1993), and maize (Samson and Sinclair 1994).…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 50%

Estimation of the fine root biomass in a Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) plantation using minirhizotrons

Noguchi

Sakata

Mizoguchi

et al. 2004

Journal of Forest Research

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 50%

Estimation of the fine root biomass in a Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) plantation using minirhizotrons

Noguchi

Sakata

Mizoguchi

et al. 2004

Journal of Forest Research

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“…For example, Cheng et al (1990) reported a maximum of 4 mm cm -2 of sorghum roots, and Heeraman and Juma (1993) reported maxima of 3 and 5 mm cm -2 for barley and Faba bean, respectively. In the rhizotron used in the present experiment, Andr6n et al (1993) found a maximum of 13 mm cm -2 of barley roots.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Recording, processing and analysis of grass root images from a rhizotron

1996

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To develop and test a system for computer-assisted image analysis, repeated video recordings of reed canary-grass roots (Phalaris arundinacea L.) were made in an 18-window rhizotron. The images were digitized and processed using a Unix computer and the Khoros software development environment.Two image sizes, 126 x 95 mm and 6I × 46 mm, both comprising 650 x 490 pixels, were compared. Among image processing techniques used were median filtering, segmentation and skeletonization. Root area and length in both the topsoil and subsoil were estimated using the two image sizes. The resolution (image size) strongly affected the calculated root lengths. The results were compared with root length measurements obtained manually. Statistically significant differences in root length and area in the topsoil were detected between the sampling dates using the computer-assisted methods. Possible sources of error and methods for reducing them are discussed.

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“…In some experiments, overestimation in root quantification occurred with minirhizotrons, in comparison with core sampling and trench profiles, with better correspondence among methods beneath 0.3-m depth (Parker et al 1991). The common root underestimation by minirhizotrons in the upper soil layer involves a large variety of plant species, such as maize, barley, faba bean and almond tree (Majdi et al 1992;Heeraman and Juma 1993;Wiesler and Horst 1994;Franco and Abrisqueta 1997) and seems to be due to poor soil-tube contact and light leaks (Levan et al 1987). In maize, which can easily reach a maximum depth of 1.5 m, an exponential RLD decrease is generally assumed with soil cores beneath 0.3 m, whereas a linear trend emerges from minirhizotron observations.…”

Section: Can We Believe What Minirhizotrons See?mentioning

confidence: 95%

Minirhizotrons in Modern Root Studies

2011

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In recent years, minirhizotrons have received increasing interest in field studies for characterising several biological processes, such as fine root production, root longevity, mycorrhization and parasitism, as collecting repeated video or digital images allows the fate of individual roots to be followed in time.This review summarises recent technical improvements in root observation and imaging, comparing results from various construction materials and installation angles. Both glass and transparent acrylic or polycarbonate tubes have shown a relatively low influence on root behaviour; tilted tubes are preferred to vertically oriented ones, in order to avoid artefacts, and to horizontal ones, which involve considerable soil disturbance during positioning in their surroundings in the open field. Precise camera positioning systems and new high-resolution (600 DPI and more) digital sensors are currently replacing external-tracked tubes and analog sensors, enhancing image capturing and quality. This allows for frequent root observation throughout the plant cycle and seasons, required for accurate estimation of root dynamics.Although manual and semi-automatic image analysis requires timing and tedious work, in the last few years minirhizotron systems have been increasingly used, thanks to fundamental advances in image analysis. The development of new algorithms for root detection and measurement in minirhizotron images has speeded up processing and research. The most interesting results in image analysis derive from the integration of luminance intensity-and geometry-based root vs. non-root classifiers. Discrepancies still remain between minirhizotron data and

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A comparison of minirhizotron, core and monolith methods for quantifying barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and fababean (Vicia faba L.) root distribution

Cited by 83 publications

References 27 publications

Estimation of the fine root biomass in a Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) plantation using minirhizotrons

Estimation of the fine root biomass in a Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) plantation using minirhizotrons

Recording, processing and analysis of grass root images from a rhizotron

Minirhizotrons in Modern Root Studies

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