Neutron imaging reveals internal plant water dynamics |
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Authors: | Jeffrey M Warren Hassina Bilheux Misun Kang Sophie Voisin Chu-Lin Cheng Juske Horita Edmund Perfect |
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Institution: | 1. Climate Change Science Institute and Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, P. O. Box 2008, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831-6301, USA 2. Chemical and Engineering Materials Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, P. O. Box 2008, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831-6475, USA 3. Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Tennessee, 306 EPS Building, 1412 Circle Dr., Knoxville, TN, 37996-1410, USA 4. Department of Geosciences, Texas Tech University, MS 1053, Science Building, Room 125, Lubbock, TX, 79409-1053, USA
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Abstract: | Background and aims Knowledge of plant water fluxes is critical for assessing mechanistic processes linked to biogeochemical cycles, yet resolving root water transport dynamics has been a particularly daunting task. Our objectives were to demonstrate the ability to non-invasively monitor individual root functionality and water fluxes within Zea mays L. (maize) and Panicum virgatum L. (switchgrass) seedlings using neutron imaging. Methods Seedlings were propagated for 1–3 weeks in aluminum chambers containing sand. Pulses of water or deuterium oxide were then tracked through the root systems by collecting consecutive radiographs during exposure to a cold-neutron source. Water flux was manipulated by cycling on a growth lamp to alter foliar demand for water. Results Neutron radiography readily illuminated root structure, root growth, and relative plant and soil water content. After irrigation there was rapid root water uptake from the newly wetted soil, followed by hydraulic redistribution of water through the root system to roots terminating in dry soil. Water flux within individual roots responded differentially to foliar illumination based on supply and demand of water within the root system. Conclusions Sub-millimeter scale image resolution revealed timing and magnitudes of root water uptake, redistribution within the roots, and root-shoot hydraulic linkages—relationships not well characterized by other techniques. |
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