Roots-eye view: using microdialysis and microCT to non-destructively map root nutrient depletion and accumulation zones

Improvement in fertiliser use efficiency is a key aspect for achieving sustainable agriculture in order to minimise costs, greenhouse gas emissions and pollution from nutrient runoff. To optimise root architecture for nutrient uptake and efficiency we need to understand what the roots encounter in t...

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Main Authors: Brackin, Richard, Atkinson, Brian S., Sturrock, Craig J., Rasmussen, Amanda
Format: Article
Published: Wiley 2017
Subjects:
Online Access:https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/45450/
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author Brackin, Richard
Atkinson, Brian S.
Sturrock, Craig J.
Rasmussen, Amanda
author_facet Brackin, Richard
Atkinson, Brian S.
Sturrock, Craig J.
Rasmussen, Amanda
author_sort Brackin, Richard
building Nottingham Research Data Repository
collection Online Access
description Improvement in fertiliser use efficiency is a key aspect for achieving sustainable agriculture in order to minimise costs, greenhouse gas emissions and pollution from nutrient runoff. To optimise root architecture for nutrient uptake and efficiency we need to understand what the roots encounter in their environment. Traditional methods of nutrient sampling such as salt extractions can only be done at the end of an experiment, are impractical for sampling locations precisely and give total nutrient values which can overestimate the nutrients available to the roots. In contrast, microdialysis provides a non-invasive, continuous method for sampling available nutrients in the soil. Here for the first time we have used microCT imaging to position microdialysis probes at known distances from the roots and then measured the available nitrate and ammonium. We found that nitrate accumulated close to roots while ammonium was depleted demonstrating that this combination of complementary techniques provides a unique ability to measure root-available nutrients non-destructively and in almost real-time.
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spelling nottingham-454502020-05-04T19:53:46Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/45450/ Roots-eye view: using microdialysis and microCT to non-destructively map root nutrient depletion and accumulation zones Brackin, Richard Atkinson, Brian S. Sturrock, Craig J. Rasmussen, Amanda Improvement in fertiliser use efficiency is a key aspect for achieving sustainable agriculture in order to minimise costs, greenhouse gas emissions and pollution from nutrient runoff. To optimise root architecture for nutrient uptake and efficiency we need to understand what the roots encounter in their environment. Traditional methods of nutrient sampling such as salt extractions can only be done at the end of an experiment, are impractical for sampling locations precisely and give total nutrient values which can overestimate the nutrients available to the roots. In contrast, microdialysis provides a non-invasive, continuous method for sampling available nutrients in the soil. Here for the first time we have used microCT imaging to position microdialysis probes at known distances from the roots and then measured the available nitrate and ammonium. We found that nitrate accumulated close to roots while ammonium was depleted demonstrating that this combination of complementary techniques provides a unique ability to measure root-available nutrients non-destructively and in almost real-time. Wiley 2017-12 Article PeerReviewed Brackin, Richard, Atkinson, Brian S., Sturrock, Craig J. and Rasmussen, Amanda (2017) Roots-eye view: using microdialysis and microCT to non-destructively map root nutrient depletion and accumulation zones. Plant, Cell and Environment, 40 (12). pp. 3135-3142. ISSN 1365-3040 microCT; nitrate; ammonium; depletion zones; accumulation zones; microdialysis; soil nutrients http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/pce.13072/abstract doi:10.1111/pce.13072 doi:10.1111/pce.13072
spellingShingle microCT; nitrate; ammonium; depletion zones; accumulation zones; microdialysis; soil nutrients
Brackin, Richard
Atkinson, Brian S.
Sturrock, Craig J.
Rasmussen, Amanda
Roots-eye view: using microdialysis and microCT to non-destructively map root nutrient depletion and accumulation zones
title Roots-eye view: using microdialysis and microCT to non-destructively map root nutrient depletion and accumulation zones
title_full Roots-eye view: using microdialysis and microCT to non-destructively map root nutrient depletion and accumulation zones
title_fullStr Roots-eye view: using microdialysis and microCT to non-destructively map root nutrient depletion and accumulation zones
title_full_unstemmed Roots-eye view: using microdialysis and microCT to non-destructively map root nutrient depletion and accumulation zones
title_short Roots-eye view: using microdialysis and microCT to non-destructively map root nutrient depletion and accumulation zones
title_sort roots-eye view: using microdialysis and microct to non-destructively map root nutrient depletion and accumulation zones
topic microCT; nitrate; ammonium; depletion zones; accumulation zones; microdialysis; soil nutrients
url https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/45450/
https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/45450/
https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/45450/