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Root investigations by X-Ray Computed tomography of wheat and grassland depending of management options
Project
Project code: JKI-PB-08-1233
Contract period: 01.01.2016
- 01.02.2017
Purpose of research: Applied research
The terrestrial carbon cycle is central to the Planet and is tightly linked with climate, water and nutrient cycles, the production of biomass through photosynthesis. Recent studies show the importance of identifying potential synergies between land-based adaptation strategies, linking issues of C sequestration, emissions of greenhouse gases, land-use change, and long-term sustainability of production systems within coherent climate policy frameworks (IPPC, 2007). While it is well established that agricultural management can affect grassland and arable carbon stocks (Conant et al. 2001) the mechanisms underlying these effects are less well understood. Among the variety of structure-forming agents in soil, plant roots are of special interest (Altemüller 1986). They are linked very closely to plant and crop productivity and represent major carbon sources in agricultural soils; they react to the existing soil pore systems, but affect soil structure themselves. The analysis of the relationship between plant and root growing depending of different management activities or climate influences requires a robust method, by which plant rooting patterns can be studied non-destructively. In this context, X-ray micro-computed tomography proved to be a suitable tool (Kuka et al., 2013). The goal of this cooperation is to establish the root investigation method by X-ray micro-computed tomography for plant phenotyping and to study the rooting development of wheat and grass respectively under different management options and climate influences.
Section overview
Subjects
- Crop Production
- Grassland
