Latest Publications
Rootrainertrons: a novel root phenotyping method used to identify genotypic variation in lettuce rooting
Cara Wharton, Andrew Beacham, Miriam L. Gifford and James Monaghan
There is much interest in how roots can be manipulated to improve crop performance in a changing climate, yet root research is made difficult by the challenges of visualising the root system accurately, particularly when grown in natural environments such as soil. This study reports a novel, low cost, Rootrainer-based system for root phenotyping. This novel Rootrainertron method has many advantages over existing methods of phenotyping seedling roots. Rootrainers are cheap, and readily available from garden centres, unlike rhizotrons which are expensive and only available from specialist suppliers. Rootrainers allow the roots to grow in substrate medium, providing a significant advantage over agar and paper assays.This approach offers an affordable and relevant root phenotyping option and makes root phenotyping more accessible and applicable for researchers.