Image-based root phenotyping technologies, including the minirhizotron (MR), have expanded our understanding of the in situ root responses to changing environmental conditions. The conventional manual methods used to analyze MR images are time-consuming, limiting their implementation. This study presents an adaptation of our previously developed convolutional neural network-based models to estimate the total (cumulative) root length (TRL) per MR image without requiring segmentation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSunflower broomrape (Orobanche cumana) is a root holoparasitic plant causing major damage to sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.). Parasite infection initiates source-sink relations between the parasite (sink) and the host (source), allocating carbohydrates, water and nutrients to the parasite.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBroomrape ( and spp.) parasitism is a severe problem in many crops worldwide, including in the Mediterranean basin. Most of the damage occurs during the sub-soil developmental stage of the parasite, by the time the parasite emerges from the ground, damage to the crop has already been done.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA near-isogenic line (NIL-7A-B-2), introgressed with a quantitative trait locus (QTL) on chromosome 7AS from wild emmer wheat ( ssp. ) into the background of bread wheat ( L.) cv.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRoots interact with soil properties and irrigation water quality leading to changes in root growth, structure and function. We studied these interactions in an orchard and in lysimeters with clay and sandy loam soils. Minirhizotron imaging and manual sampling showed that root growth was three times lower in the clay relative to sandy loam soil.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWater quality, soil and climate can interact to limit photosynthesis and to increase photooxidative damage in sensitive plants. This research compared diffusive and non-diffusive limitations to photosynthesis as well as photorespiration of leaves of grapefruit trees in heavy clay and sandy soils having a previous history of treated wastewater (TWW) irrigation for >10 years, with different water qualities [fresh water (FW) vs TWW and sodium amended treated wastewater (TWW + Na)] in two arid climates (summer vs winter) and in orchard and lysimeter experiments. TWW irrigation increased salts (Na(+) and Cl(-) ), membrane leakage, proline and soluble sugar content, and decreased osmotic potentials in leaves of all experiments.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFKnowledge about the root system structure and the uptake efficiency of root orders is critical to understand the adaptive plasticity of plants towards salt stress. Thus, this study describes the phenological and physiological plasticity of Citrus volkameriana rootstocks under severe NaCl stress on the level of root orders. Phenotypic root traits known to influence uptake processes, for example frequency of root orders, specific root area, cortical thickness, and xylem traits, did not change homogeneously throughout the root system, but changes after 6 months under 90 mM NaCl stress were root order specific.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPlant Cell Environ
January 2011
Knowledge about the physiological function of root orders is scant. In this study, a system to monitor the water flux among root orders was developed using miniaturized chambers. Different root orders of 4-year-old Citrus volkameriana trees were analysed with respect to root morphology and water flux.
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