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Neutron radiography as a tool for revealing root development in soil: capabilities and limitations

Moradi, Ahmad ; Conesa, Héctor ; Robinson, Brett ; Lehmann, Eberhard ; Kuehne, Guido ; Kaestner, Anders ; Oswald, Sascha ; Schulin, Rainer

In: Plant and Soil, 2009, vol. 318, no. 1-2, p. 243-255

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    Titre
    • Neutron radiography as a tool for revealing root development in soil: capabilities and limitations
    Auteur
    • Moradi, Ahmad. Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystems, Soil Protection group, ETH Zurich, CHN F28.2, Universitaetstrasse 16, CH-8092, Zurich, Switzerland
    • Conesa, Héctor. Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystems, Soil Protection group, ETH Zurich, CHN F28.2, Universitaetstrasse 16, CH-8092, Zurich, Switzerland
    • Robinson, Brett. Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystems, Soil Protection group, ETH Zurich, CHN F28.2, Universitaetstrasse 16, CH-8092, Zurich, Switzerland
    • Lehmann, Eberhard. Paul Scherrer Institut, Villigen, Switzerland
    • Kuehne, Guido. Paul Scherrer Institut, Villigen, Switzerland
    • Kaestner, Anders. Paul Scherrer Institut, Villigen, Switzerland
    • Oswald, Sascha. Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
    • Schulin, Rainer. Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystems, Soil Protection group, ETH Zurich, CHN F28.2, Universitaetstrasse 16, CH-8092, Zurich, Switzerland
    Type de document
    • Postprint
    Identifiant OAI-PMH
    • oai:doc.rero.ch:320566
    Summary
    Neutron Radiography (NR) is a valuable non-invasive tool to study in situ root development in soil. However, there is a lacuna of quantitative information on its capabilities and limitations. We combined neutron radiography with image analysis techniques to quantify the neutron absorption coefficients (Σ) of various root-growth media for a range of water contents (θ) in the presence and absence of plant roots with various rooting systems. Plants were grown in aluminium containers (170 × 150 × 12mm) and were imaged using NR, as well as X-Ray radiography and an optical scanner. Sandy soil was the best medium for NR because it supported plant growth at θ that gave a good contrast for root visualisation. After correction for neutron scattering, we obtained a linear correlation between Σ and soil θ. The minimum detectable root thickness in neutron radiographs was found to be 0.2mm in these containers. Combining NR with X-Ray radiography could provide information on soil structure in addition to revealing root structure and development