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Measuring root traits in barley (Hordeum vulgare ssp. vulgare and ssp. spontaneum) seedlings using gel chambers, soil sacs and X-ray microtomography

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Abstract

Root characteristics of seedlings of five different barley genotypes were analysed in 2D using gel chambers, and in 3D using soil sacs that were destructively harvested and pots of soil that were assessed non-invasively using X-ray microtomography. After 5 days, Chime produced the greatest number of root axes (∼6) and Mehola significantly less (∼4) in all growing methods. Total root length was longest in GSH01915 and shortest in Mehola for all methods, but both total length and average root diameter were significantly larger for plants grown in gel chambers than those grown in soil. The ranking of particular growth traits (root number, root angular spread) of plants grown in gel plates, soil sacs and X-ray pots was similar, but plants grown in the gel chambers had a different order of ranking for root length to the soil-grown plants. Analysis of angles in soil-grown plants showed that Tadmore had the most even spread of individual roots and Chime had a propensity for non-uniform distribution and root clumping. The roots of Mehola were less well spread than the barley cultivars supporting the suggestion that wild and landrace barleys tend to have a narrower angular spread than modern cultivars. The three dimensional analysis of root systems carried out in this study provides insights into the limitations of screening methods for root traits and useful data for modelling root architecture.

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Acknowledgements

CEH was supported by a research studentship from the Natural Environment Research Council of the UK. We wish to thank Drs Bill Thomas and Brian Forster for providing the barley lines and for helpful discussions, and Dr Derek Read for help with the X-ray equipment.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Soil Science, School of Human and Environmental Sciences, The University of Reading, Whiteknights, P.O. Box 233, Reading, RG6 6DW, UK

    Caroline E. Hargreaves & Peter J. Gregory

  2. SCRI, Invergowrie, Dundee, DD2 5DA, UK

    Peter J. Gregory & A. Glyn Bengough

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  1. Caroline E. Hargreaves
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  2. Peter J. Gregory
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  3. A. Glyn Bengough
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Correspondence to Peter J. Gregory.

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Responsible Editor: Jonathan P. Lynch.

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Hargreaves, C.E., Gregory, P.J. & Bengough, A.G. Measuring root traits in barley (Hordeum vulgare ssp. vulgare and ssp. spontaneum) seedlings using gel chambers, soil sacs and X-ray microtomography. Plant Soil 316, 285–297 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-008-9780-4

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