Microsensing of Water Dynamics and Root Distributions in Sandy Soils
Comprehensive understanding of water and nutrient transport in the rhizosphere is important because water use is a major societal and environmental concern. Studying these processes has been slow, however, due to historical neglect of belowground research and the fact that soil is not transparent to...
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Published in | Vadose zone journal Vol. 7; no. 3; pp. 1018 - 1026 |
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Main Authors | , , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
Madison
Soil Science Society of America
01.08.2008
Soil Science Society |
Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | Comprehensive understanding of water and nutrient transport in the rhizosphere is important because water use is a major societal and environmental concern. Studying these processes has been slow, however, due to historical neglect of belowground research and the fact that soil is not transparent to many research tools. We investigated two independent and noninvasive methods that have the potential to expand our knowledge of root water uptake. The magnetic resonance imaging technique was used to simultaneously generate three- and two-dimensional, high-resolution images of a seedling's root system and the soil water content distribution in the rhizosphere of sandy soils. A quantitative measurement of soil moisture in the rhizosphere and specifically at the root-soil interface was applied, taking into account the cylindrical nature of roots and the radial water flow toward root surfaces. This protocol enabled a dynamic study of water depletion patterns around a single root as a result of root water uptake. In the second method, a pliable-tip microtensiometer (PTMT) was introduced as a reliable tool to measure soil water pressure heads in a small volume of sandy soil. A set of PTMTs combined with a growth chamber, which allows roots to grow in a predetermined location, was used to measure the water status at the soil-root interface and in the bulk soil with time. |
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Bibliography: | http://dx.doi.org/10.2136/vzj2007.0121 All rights reserved. No part of this periodical may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. contributed equally to this work |
ISSN: | 1539-1663 1539-1663 |
DOI: | 10.2136/vzj2007.0121 |