Author:
Peruzzo Luca,Chou Chunwei,Wu Yuxin,Schmutz Myriam,Mary Benjamin,Wagner Florian M.,Petrov Petr,Newman Gregory,Blancaflor Elison B.,Liu Xiuwei,Ma Xuefeng,Hubbard Susan
Abstract
Abstract
Aims
The flow of electric current in the root-soil system relates to the pathways of water and solutes, its characterization provides information on the root architecture and functioning. We developed a current source density approach with the goal of non-invasively image the current pathways in the root-soil system.
Methods
A current flow is applied from the plant stem to the soil, the proposed geoelectrical approach images the resulting distribution and intensity of the electric current in the root-soil system. The numerical inversion procedure underlying the approach was tested in numerical simulations and laboratory experiments with artificial metallic roots. We validated the method using rhizotron laboratory experiments on maize and cotton plants.
Results
Results from numerical and laboratory tests showed that our inversion approach was capable of imaging root-like distributions of the current source. In maize and cotton, roots acted as “leaky conductors”, resulting in successful imaging of the root crowns and negligible contribution of distal roots to the current flow. In contrast, the electrical insulating behavior of the cotton stems in dry soil supports the hypothesis that suberin layers can affect the mobility of ions and water.
Conclusions
The proposed approach with rhizotrons studies provides the first direct and concurrent characterization of the root-soil current pathways and their relationship with root functioning and architecture. This approach fills a major gap toward non-destructive imaging of roots in their natural soil environment.
Funder
IDEX
Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy
U.S. Department of Energy
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Subject
Plant Science,Soil Science
Cited by
26 articles.
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