Towards subsoil imaging of 'Root Function' as a phenotype, for accelerated breeding of climate tolerant crops

B.D.Grieve1, T.A.York1, F.Podd1, L.Senior2, S.J.Mooney3

Faculty of Engineering & Physical Sciences, University of Manchester, M13 9PL, UK

2 Syngenta Biotechnology Inc., Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, 27709­2257, USA

3 Centre for Plant Integrative Biology, University of Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK

ABSTRACT

The goal of this research is to deliver safe, low­cost, non­invasive subsoil imaging systems, and fully characterise them against established laboratory micro X­ray Computed Tomography (XCT), to deliver an industrial scale greenhouse screening tool. Ultimately this will lead onto downstream research to translate the technology into the uncontrolled environments found in field trial studies across the world as well as spin­out duties, such as farm irrigation and harvest management.

Keywords Electrical Impedance, X­ray, Agriculture, Drought Tolerance