Testing an Alternative Method for Estimating the Length of Fungal Hyphae Using Photomicrography and Image Processing

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 11; no. 6; p. e0157017
• Main Authors: Shen, Qinhua, Kirschbaum, Miko U F, Hedley, Mike J, Camps Arbestain, Marta
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 10.06.2016; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Agriculture; Animals; Arbuscular mycorrhizas; Automation; Biochemistry; Biology; Biology and Life Sciences; Biomass; Calibration; Coefficient of variation; Digital imaging; Engineering and Technology; Fertility; Fungi; Hair - microbiology; Hyphae; Hyphae - growth & development; Image processing; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted - methods; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted - standards; Line intersections; Membrane filtration; Methods; Micrography; Microscopy; Mycorrhizae - growth & development; Phosphorus; Photography; Photomicrography; Photomicrography - methods; Photomicrography - standards; Physiological aspects; Plant Roots - microbiology; Research and Analysis Methods; Roots; Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; Slopes; Soil; Soil fertility; Soil investigations; Soil Microbiology - standards; Soil sciences; Soils; Statistics as Topic - methods; Statistics as Topic - standards; Test procedures; Trichosurus - microbiology; New Zealand

This study aimed to develop and test an unbiased and rapid methodology to estimate the length of external arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF) hyphae in soil. The traditional visual gridline intersection (VGI) method, which consists in a direct visual examination of the intersections of hyphae with g...