Visualization of Root Water Uptake: Quantification of Deuterated Water Transport in Roots Using Neutron Radiography and Numerical Modeling

• Published in: Plant physiology (Bethesda) Vol. 166; no. 2; pp. 487 - 499
• Main Authors: Zarebanadkouki, Mohsen, Kroener, Eva, Kaestner, Anders, Carminati, Andrea
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Society of Plant Biologists 01.10.2014
• Series: Focus Issue on Roots
• Subjects: Breakthrough Technologies; Breakthrough Technologies - Focus Issue; Deuterium - chemistry; Diffusion coefficient; Endodermis; mathematical models; Models, Biological; Neutrons; Plant roots; Plant Roots - metabolism; Plants; radiography; Radiography - methods; roots; Sand soils; Soil hydraulic properties; Soil water; Water - metabolism; water flow; Water immersion; Water uptake; Xylem

Our understanding of soil and plant water relations is limited by the lack of experimental methods to measure water fluxes in soil and plants. Here, we describe a new method to noninvasively quantify water fluxes in roots. To this end, neutron radiography was used to trace the transport of deuterate...