A5036100495- Tree Root and Stability Studies
- Soil Management and Crop Yield
- Soil Mechanics and Vehicle Dynamics
- Plant nutrient uptake and metabolism
- Plant responses to water stress
- Plant Molecular Biology Research
- Seedling growth and survival studies
- Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics
- Soil erosion and sediment transport
- Agriculture, Soil, Plant Science
- Turfgrass Adaptation and Management
- Plant Taxonomy and Phylogenetics
- Berry genetics and cultivation research
- Sustainable Agricultural Systems Analysis
- Geotechnical Engineering and Soil Stabilization
- Growth and nutrition in plants
- Plant Water Relations and Carbon Dynamics
- Soil and Water Nutrient Dynamics
- Food Security and Health in Diverse Populations
- Agriculture Sustainability and Environmental Impact
- Plant Ecology and Soil Science
- Crop Yield and Soil Fertility
- Rangeland and Wildlife Management
- Insect-Plant Interactions and Control
- Climate Change and Health Impacts
James Hutton Institute
2015-2024
University of Dundee
2009-2018
Soil structure has a huge impact on plant root growth, but it is difficult to isolate from other soil properties in field studies, and generally overlooked laboratory studies that use sieved homogenised repacked soil. This study aimed compare shoot growth under controlled conditions where only varied. treatments used < 2 mm, packed uniform layers create homogenous structure. A heterogeneous was artificially formed aggregates created by breaking apart the homogeneous after intense compaction....
The ability of roots to penetrate hard soil is important for crop productivity but specific root phenes contributing this are poorly understood. Root penetrability and biomechanical properties likely vary in the system dependent on anatomical structure. No information available date influence biomechanics. penetration was evaluated using a wax layer system. tensile bending strength were plant grown greenhouse field. found be better predictors than diameter per se associated with smaller...
The physical role of root hairs in anchoring the tip during soil penetration was examined. Experiments using a hairless maize mutant (Zea mays: rth3-3) and its wild-type counterpart measured anchorage force between primary to determine whether enabled seedling roots artificial biopores penetrate sandy loam (dry bulk density 1.0-1.5g cm(-3)). Time-lapse imaging used analyse displacements adjacent transparent Perspex interface. Peak forces were up five times greater (2.5N cf. 0.5N) for than...
Understanding root-reinforcement of vegetated slopes is hindered by the cost and practicality full scale tests to explore global behaviour at slope scale, idealised nature smaller-scale testing date that has relied on model root analogues. In this study we investigated potential use living plant roots in small experiments failure would a geotechnical centrifuge achieve soil stress states comparable those field homologous points. Three species (Willow, Gorse Festulolium grass), corresponding...
To better understand the role of root anatomy in regulating plant adaptation to soil mechanical impedance, 12 maize lines were evaluated two soils with and without compaction treatments under field conditions. Penetrometer resistance was 1-2 MPa greater surface 30 cm compacted plots at a water content 17-20% (v/v). Root thickening response varied among genotypes negatively associated rooting depth one site non-compacted plots. Thickening not on Genotypic variation related depth....
Radial expansion is a classic response of roots to mechanical impedance that has generally been assumed aid penetration. We analysed the maize nodal test hypothesis radial not related ability cross compacted soil layer. Genotypes varied in their layer, and those with steeper approach layer or less were more likely achieve greater depth. Root was due cortical cell size expansion, while file number remained constant. root classes exhibited also thickened exogenous ethylene hydroponic culture,...
Nature-based solutions to engineering challenges are essential limit climate change impacts on the urban environment. Quantitative understanding of multiple "engineering functions" provided by soil-plant interactions different species is needed for selection and re-establishing natural processes affected urbanisation. Contrasting herbaceous (legumes, grasses, forbs) were selected grown as monoculture or mix in soil columns a five-month growing season. Saturated hydraulic conductivity was...
Mechanical root reinforcement is an important parameter to evaluate for stability analysis of rooted slopes. The contribution roots however difficult quantify in situ without time-consuming methods or heavy equipment. Here we report field testing using the newly developed “corkscrew” method at two different sites with plantings conifers and blackcurrant. In both found positive correlations between quantity surface layers where many were found. Below 125 mm depth, no could be found, probably...
Hyperspectral imaging is a technology that can be used to monitor plant responses stress. images have full spectrum for each pixel in the image, 400-2500 nm this case, giving detailed information about spectral reflectance of plant. Although has been laboratory-based controlled lighting conditions early detection disease, transfer such plants field presents number challenges. These include problems caused by varying light levels and difficulties separating target from its background. Here we...
Mechanical root reinforcement is one of the mechanisms by which vegetation enhances slope stability. Common approaches to quantify this effect include either in situ shear box testing or destructive sampling combined with a theoretical model estimate parameters. Both approaches, however, are time consuming. Here four new techniques evaluated mechanical and then compared under laboratory conditions. All methods yield distinct results soils reinforced woody analogues (acrylonitrile butadiene...
Abstract The COVID‐19 pandemic is a major shock to society in terms of health and economy that affecting both UK global food nutrition security. It adding the ‘perfect storm’ threats from climate change, biodiversity loss ecosystem degradation, at time considerable rising nationalism breakdown international collaboration. In UK, situation further complicated due Brexit. F ood N utrition S ecurity project, lasting one year, funded by Economic Social Research Council assessing ongoing impact...
Abstract Purpose Quantifying the stability of individual plants or their contribution to soil reinforcement against erosion landslides requires an understanding tensile properties roots. This work developed a new analytical model understand stress–strain behaviour single root axis, which is first incorporating anatomical features, in order reduce existing uncertainty predictions. Methods The was modelled as linear elastic stele connected surrounding cortex by means stele–cortex interface. By...
Abstract Aims Root tensile tests are often rejected if failure location is outside the middle section of samples. This study aims to identify where and why occurs along a root axis, hence revisit current approaches test-validity. Methods Roots from Festuca arundinacea; Lolium multiflorum; perenne were sampled field-grown plants. tested using universal testing machine. samples randomly allocated into two groups for testing. Group 1 roots orientated with older tissue closest top clamp, group 2...
The spatial distribution, depths and diameters of roots in soil are difficult to quantify but important know when reinforcement a rooted slope or the stability plant is be assessed. Previous work has shown that can detected from depth–resistance trace measured using penetrometer with an adapted blade-shaped tip. Theoretical models exist predict both forces root displacements associated failure either bending tension. However, these studies were performed dry sand under laboratory conditions,...
Summary Limitation to root growth results from forces required overcome soil resistance deformation. The variations in individual particle affects development and often deflects the trajectory. We have developed transparent optical projection tomography microscopy systems where measurements of trajectory can be acquired a granular medium at range confining pressures. image‐processing pipelines analyse patterns trajectories stochastic‐mechanical theory establish how deflections relate...