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Minirhizotron Installation Techniques for Investigating Root Responses to Drought and Oxygen Stresses
Author(s) -
Box J. E.,
Smucker A. J. M.,
Ritchie J. T.
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
soil science society of america journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.836
H-Index - 168
eISSN - 1435-0661
pISSN - 0361-5995
DOI - 10.2136/sssaj1989.03615995005300010021x
Subject(s) - loam , environmental science , soil water , dns root zone , soil science , agronomy , biology
Estimation of plant root activities by the minirhizotron technique is a nondestructive approach for observing root responses to the soil environment, yet few such observations have been made. The purpose of this report is to compare methods for installing minirhizotron tubes in separate experiments located in two regions of the USA. Transparent plastic tubes were installed at acute angles of 0.8 and 1.2 rad to the surfaces of sandy loam (Typic Hapludult and Typic Hapludalf) soils located in Georgia and Michigan. Soil cores were removed from these low expansion‐contraction soils using Giddings hydraulic power samplers. Both ends of the minirhizotrons were stoppered and the aboveground portion of the tube surfaces were made opaque before inserting. The excellent soil to minirhizotron wall interfaces provided clear and high contrast root images that were observed and video recorded. These procedures provided information which indicate that short‐term drought results in root losses near the soil surface and large increases in deep root growth. Uninterrupted O 2 stress substantially reduced growth of wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) roots throughout the rhizosphere.