Construction of minirhizotron facilities for investigating root zone processes

• Published in: Vadose zone journal Vol. 15; no. 9; pp. 1 - 13
• Main Authors: Cai, Gaochao, Vanderborght, Jan, Klotzsche, Anja, van der Kruk, Jan, Neumann, Joschka, Hermes, Normen, Vereecken, Harry
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Soil Science Society of America 01.09.2016; The Soil Science Society of America, Inc
• Subjects: agriculture; Central Europe; Eifel-Lower Rhine Observatory; Environmental geology; Europe; field studies; geophysical methods; Germany; GPR data; ground-penetrating radar; imagery; in situ; induction; minirhizotron; moisture; North Rhine-Westphalia Germany; plant available water; radar methods; rain; rhizosphere; rhizotubes; root growth; Selhausen Germany; silt loam; silty soils; soil temperature; soil water content; soils; space and time; spatial distribution; stony soils; TDR data; techniques; temperature; tensiometers; TERENO; transpiration; unsaturated zone; vadose zone; water; water content; water potential; water uptake; winter wheat

Minimally invasive monitoring of root development and soil states (soil moisture, temperature) in undisturbed soils during a crop growing cycle is a challenging task. Minirhizotron (MR) tubes offer the possibility to view root development in situ with time. Two MR facilities were constructed in two...