Beyond Digging: Noninvasive Root and Rhizosphere Phenotyping

Wasson, Anton; Nagel, Kerstin; Tracy, Saoirse R.; Watt, Michelle

doi:10.1016/j.tplants.2019.10.011

Cited by 52 publications

(51 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…One main use was to select root phenotypes and germplasm sources directly in the field (e.g., [11,[19][20][21]). Field techniques available today to select genotypes with desired root traits are invasive, minimally invasive, or indirect via shoots or soil (see [47] and reviews [56][57][58]). Coring [9], and 'shovelomics' [59] are widely used invasive methods (see Figure 2 of [47] for contrast between these methods).…”

Section: Field Phenotypingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Field techniques available today to select genotypes with desired root traits are invasive, minimally invasive, or indirect via shoots or soil (see [47] and reviews [56][57][58]). Coring [9], and 'shovelomics' [59] are widely used invasive methods (see Figure 2 of [47] for contrast between these methods). Both methods have a throughput comparable with the rhizotron and MRI systems highlighted in Figure 2: per hour, 15 cores can be taken and imaged with three people [60] and eight plots can be shoveled, washed, and imaged per person (L. York, personal communication).…”

Section: Field Phenotypingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Mini-rhizotrons, unlike coring and shovelomics, are inserted and left in place prior to arrival of roots. The plane between the tube and the soil becomes a microenvironment that can alter root growth [74] and hence they are considered minimally invasive (see second figure, [47]). Modern mini-rhizotron imaging systems have automated cameras with positioning systems and image analysis [75].…”

Section: Field Phenotypingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Contemporary, automated, multisensor, and nondestructive technologies select whole-plant, dynamic and functional phenotypes into plants that can be grown to seed, speeding up advancement of beneficial alleles. Further gains are expected from integrating field phenotyping within selection programs using technologies to measure roots in soil (see companion Technology of the Month paper, was Wasson et al [47]). We present five mathematical models to integrate whole-plant phenotyping programs, targeted at developing germplasm for farming systems to optimize trait expression and value to breeders farmers.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…An emerging outcome of deep phenotyping is enhanced understanding of whole-plant physiology. (See Wasson et al[47] for noninvasive root phenotyping technologies used to date, along the electromagnetic spectrum, with radiation strengths. )…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 4 more Smart Citations

Crop Improvement from Phenotyping Roots: Highlights Reveal Expanding Opportunities

Tracy

Nagel

Postma

et al. 2020

Trends in Plant Science

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166

128

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Root systems determine the water and nutrients for photosynthesis and harvested products, underpinning agricultural productivity. We highlight 11 programs that integrated root traits into germplasm for breeding, relying on phenotyping. Progress was successful but slow. Today's phenotyping technologies will speed up root trait improvement. They combine multiple new alleles in germplasm for target environments, in parallel. Roots and shoots are detected simultaneously and nondestructively, seed to seed measures are automated, and field and laboratory technologies are increasingly linked. Available simulation models can aid all phenotyping decisions. This century will see a shift from single root traits to rhizosphere selections that can be managed dynamically on farms and a shift to phenotype-based improvement to accommodate the dynamic complexity of whole crop systems.Root system traits (see Glossary) have long been a key target by researchers and breeders for crop improvement [1,2]. Root system architecture supplies water and nutrients for photosynthesis and growth, stabilizes the plant, and prevents soil toxic elements and pathogens from entering leaves and reproductive organs. Roots also host soil microorganisms that can contribute to plant growth and resource efficiency and modulate the supply of resources and signals to shoots, influencing partitioning to organs, including flowers, seed, and fruit. Despite the challenges that plant roots present for measurement, root traits have been incorporated into crops using phenotyping. The observation of roots using phenotyping is central to the discovery of root traits beneficial to crops, their incorporation into new cultivars using prebreeding [3,4], and to their management using precision agriculture. Highlights in Root PhenotypingThe 11 programs highlighted in Figure 1 (Key Figure) exemplify root traits incorporated into new genotypes by phenotyping to increase crop productivity. The examples cover the two main plant types and root system developments: monocotyledons (two major cereal crops, wheat and rice) with seed and stem-borne roots with no cambial thickening, and dicotyledons (two major legume crops, bean

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Section: Field Phenotypingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Field Phenotypingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Field Phenotypingmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Crop Improvement from Phenotyping Roots: Highlights Reveal Expanding Opportunities

Tracy

Nagel

Postma

et al. 2020

Trends in Plant Science

Self Cite

166

128

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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LEADER (Leaf Element Accumulation from DEep Roots): A nondestructive phenotyping platform to estimate rooting depth in the field

Hanlon,

Brown,

Lynch

2023

Crop Science

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Deeper rooted crops are an avenue to increase plant water and nitrogen uptake under limiting conditions and increase long‐term soil carbon storage. Measuring rooting depth, however, is challenging due to the destructive, laborious, or imprecise methods that are currently available. Here, we present LEADER (Leaf Element Accumulation from DEep Roots) as a method to estimate in‐field root depth of maize plants. We use both X‐ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy and ICP‐OES (inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy) to measure leaf elemental content and relate this to metrics of root depth. Principal components of leaf elemental content correlate with measures of root length in four genotypes (R2 = 0.8 for total root length), and we use linear discriminant analysis to classify plants as having different metrics related to root depth across four field sites in the United States. We can correctly classify the plots with the longest root length at depth (deeper than 30 or 40 cm) with high accuracy (accuracy >0.6) at two of our field sites (Hancock, WI and Rock Spring, PA). We also use strontium (Sr) as a tracer element in both greenhouse and field studies, showing that elemental accumulation of Sr in leaf tissue can be measured with XRF and can estimate root depth. We propose the adoption of LEADER as a tool for measuring root depth in different plant species and soils. LEADER is faster and easier than any other methods that currently exist and could allow for extensive study and understanding of deep rooting.

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Wheat root systems as a breeding target for climate resilience

et al. 2021

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In the coming decades, larger genetic gains in yield will be necessary to meet projected demand, and this must be achieved despite the destabilizing impacts of climate change on crop production. The root systems of crops capture the water and nutrients needed to support crop growth, and improved root systems tailored to the challenges of specific agricultural environments could improve climate resiliency. Each component of root initiation, growth and development is controlled genetically and responds to the environment, which translates to a complex quantitative system to navigate for the breeder, but also a world of opportunity given the right tools. In this review, we argue that it is important to know more about the ‘hidden half’ of crop plants and hypothesize that crop improvement could be further enhanced using approaches that directly target selection for root system architecture. To explore these issues, we focus predominantly on bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), a staple crop that plays a major role in underpinning global food security. We review the tools available for root phenotyping under controlled and field conditions and the use of these platforms alongside modern genetics and genomics resources to dissect the genetic architecture controlling the wheat root system. To contextualize these advances for applied wheat breeding, we explore questions surrounding which root system architectures should be selected for, which agricultural environments and genetic trait configurations of breeding populations are these best suited to, and how might direct selection for these root ideotypes be implemented in practice.

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Beyond Digging: Noninvasive Root and Rhizosphere Phenotyping

Abstract: Noninvasive root phenotyping does not disturb root system structures, architecture, and functions within the rhizosphere and bulk soil environments.

Cited by 52 publications

References 12 publications

Crop Improvement from Phenotyping Roots: Highlights Reveal Expanding Opportunities

Crop Improvement from Phenotyping Roots: Highlights Reveal Expanding Opportunities

LEADER (Leaf Element Accumulation from DEep Roots): A nondestructive phenotyping platform to estimate rooting depth in the field

Wheat root systems as a breeding target for climate resilience

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