Tino Colombi

Contact

• workRoom C31 Gateway Building
  Sutton Bonington Campus
  Sutton Bonington
  Leicestershire
  LE12 5RD
  UK
• Tino.Colombi@nottingham.ac.uk

Biography

I obtained my PhD from ETH Zurich in Switzerland, where I studied biophysical processes underlying whole plant growth on compacted soil. After graduating in 2017, I moved to the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Uppsala where I became 'Docent' in Soil Science (Swedish equivalent to Habilitation). Since 2023, I work as a Nottingham Research Fellow at the School of Biosciences elucidating climate change effects on carbon partitioning in plant-soil systems.

Expertise Summary

Soils are the foundation of all terrestrial life. In my research, I focus on the role of plant roots for soil functioning and explore the potential to leverage root physiological processes to improve soil health and to adapt agricultural systems to global change. To do so, I pursue an integrative and interdisciplinary approach that involves studies across spatiotemporal scales and collaborations with researchers from various disciplines such as plant and soil science, agronomy, and computer vision. I make use of a suite of imaging techniques including X-ray CT and time-lapse imaging and combine experimental data with theoretical approaches such as biomechanical and energy balance modeling.

Selected Publications

• COLOMBI, TINO, PANDEY, BIPIN K., CHAWADE, AAKASH, BENNETT, MALCOLM J., MOONEY, SACHA J. and KELLER, THOMAS, 2024. Root plasticity versus elasticity – when are responses acclimative? Trends in Plant Science.
• SJULGÅRD, HANNA, KELLER, THOMAS, GARLAND, GINA and COLOMBI, TINO, 2023. Relationships between weather and yield anomalies vary with crop type and latitude in Sweden: Agricultural Systems Agricultural Systems. 211, 103757
• COLOMBI, TINO, CHAKRAWAL, ARJUN and HERRMANN, ANKE MARIANNE, 2022. Carbon supply–consumption balance in plant roots: effects of carbon use efficiency and root anatomical plasticity: New Phytologist New Phytologist. 233, 1542-1547
• COLOMBI, TINO, KIRCHGESSNER, NORBERT, WALTER, ACHIM and KELLER, THOMAS, 2017. Root Tip Shape Governs Root Elongation Rate under Increased Soil Strength: Plant Physiology Plant Physiology. 174, 2289-2301

• View all publications

• B'OLSCHER, TOBIAS, VOGEL, CORDULA, OLAGOKE, FOLASADE K., MEURER, KATHARINA H.E., HERRMANN, ANKE M., COLOMBI, TINO, BRUNN, MELANIE and DOMEIGNOZ-HORTA, LUIZ A., 2024. Beyond growth: The significance of non-growth anabolism for microbial carbon-use efficiency in the light of soil carbon stabilisation Soil Biology and Biochemistry. 193, 109400
• COLOMBI, TINO, PANDEY, BIPIN K., CHAWADE, AAKASH, BENNETT, MALCOLM J., MOONEY, SACHA J. and KELLER, THOMAS, 2024. Root plasticity versus elasticity – when are responses acclimative? Trends in Plant Science.
• COLOMBI, TINO, EITELBERG, LEAH, KOLB, EVELYNE, LEGUÉ, VALÉRIE and BOGEAT-TRIBOULOT, MARIE-BÉATRICE, 2023. Genotypic differences in systemic root responses to mechanical obstacles: Physiologia Plantarum Physiologia Plantarum. 175, e14094
• SJULGÅRD, HANNA, KELLER, THOMAS, GARLAND, GINA and COLOMBI, TINO, 2023. Relationships between weather and yield anomalies vary with crop type and latitude in Sweden: Agricultural Systems Agricultural Systems. 211, 103757
• WALDER, FLORIAN, BÜCHI, LUCIE, WAGG, CAMERON, COLOMBI, TINO, BANERJEE, SAMIRAN, HIRTE, JULIANE, MAYER, JOCHEN, SIX, JOHAN, KELLER, THOMAS, CHARLES, RAPHAËL and VAN DER HEIJDEN, MARCEL G. A., 2023. Synergism between production and soil health through crop diversification, organic amendments and crop protection in wheat‐based systems: Journal of Applied Ecology Journal of Applied Ecology. 2091-2104
• COLOMBI, TINO and KELLER, THOMAS, 2022. Effects of High Soil Density on Soil Functions and Crop Growth. In: DANG, YASH, MENZIES, NEAL and DALAL, RAM, eds., Soil Constraints on Crop Production Cambridge Scholars Publishing. 62-85
• COLOMBI, TINO, CHAKRAWAL, ARJUN and HERRMANN, ANKE MARIANNE, 2022. Carbon supply–consumption balance in plant roots: effects of carbon use efficiency and root anatomical plasticity: New Phytologist New Phytologist. 233, 1542-1547
• LIU, HUI, COLOMBI, TINO, JÄCK, ORTRUD, KELLER, THOMAS and WEIH, MARTIN, 2022. Effects of soil compaction on grain yield of wheat depend on weather conditions: Science of The Total Environment Science of The Total Environment. 807, 150763
• BÜCHI, LUCIE, WALDER, FLORIAN, BANERJEE, SAMIRAN, COLOMBI, TINO, VAN DER HEIJDEN, MARCEL G.A., KELLER, THOMAS, CHARLES, RAPHAËL and SIX, JOHAN, 2022. Pedoclimatic factors and management determine soil organic carbon and aggregation in farmer fields at a regional scale: Geoderma Geoderma. 409, 115632
• LIU, HUI, COLOMBI, TINO, JÄCK, ORTRUD, WESTERBERGH, ANNA and WEIH, MARTIN, 2022. Linking wheat nitrogen use to root traits: Shallow and thin embryonic roots enhance uptake but reduce conversion efficiency of nitrogen: Field Crops Research Field Crops Research. 285, 108603
• SJULGÅRD, HANNA, COLOMBI, TINO and KELLER, THOMAS, 2022. Spatiotemporal patterns of crop diversity reveal potential for diversification in Swedish agriculture: Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment. 336, 108046
• WEIH, MARTIN, LIU, HUI, COLOMBI, TINO, KELLER, THOMAS, JÄCK, ORTRUD, VALLENBACK, PERNILLA and WESTERBERGH, ANNA, 2021. Evidence for magnesium–phosphorus synergism and co-limitation of grain yield in wheat agriculture: Scientific Reports Scientific Reports. 11, 9012
• COLOMBI, TINO, KIRCHGESSNER, NORBERT, ISESKOG, DANIEL, ALEXANDERSSON, SUSANNE, LARSBO, MATS and KELLER, THOMAS, 2021. A time-lapse imaging platform for quantification of soil crack development due to simulated root water uptake: Soil and Tillage Research Soil and Tillage Research. 205, 104769
• HIRTE, JULIANE, WALDER, FLORIAN, HESS, JULIA, BÜCHI, LUCIE, COLOMBI, TINO, VAN DER HEIJDEN, MARCEL G. and MAYER, JOCHEN, 2021. Enhanced root carbon allocation through organic farming is restricted to topsoils: Science of The Total Environment Science of The Total Environment. 755, 143551
• LONGEPIERRE, MANON, WIDMER, FRANCO, KELLER, THOMAS, WEISSKOPF, PETER, COLOMBI, TINO, SIX, JOHAN and HARTMANN, MARTIN, 2021. Limited resilience of the soil microbiome to mechanical compaction within four growing seasons of agricultural management: ISME Communications ISME Communications. 1, 44
• KELLER, THOMAS, COLOMBI, TINO, RUIZ, SIUL, SCHYMANSKI, STANISLAUS J., WEISSKOPF, PETER, KOESTEL, JOHN, SOMMER, MARLIES, STADELMANN, VIKTOR, BREITENSTEIN, DANIEL, KIRCHGESSNER, NORBERT, WALTER, ACHIM and OR, DANI, 2021. Soil structure recovery following compaction: Short‐term evolution of soil physical properties in a loamy soil: Soil Science Society of America Journal Soil Science Society of America Journal. 85, 1002-1020
• LIU, HUI, FIORANI, FABIO, JÄCK, ORTRUD, COLOMBI, TINO, NAGEL, KERSTIN A. and WEIH, MARTIN, 2021. Shoot and Root Traits Underlying Genotypic Variation in Early Vigor and Nutrient Accumulation in Spring Wheat Grown in High-Latitude Light Conditions: Plants Plants. 10, 174
• SJULGÅRD, HANNA, ISESKOG, DANIEL, KIRCHGESSNER, NORBERT, BENGOUGH, A. GLYN, KELLER, THOMAS and COLOMBI, TINO, 2021. Reversible and irreversible root phenotypic plasticity under fluctuating soil physical conditions: Environmental and Experimental Botany Environmental and Experimental Botany. 188, 104494
• WILLIAMS, HANNA, COLOMBI, TINO and KELLER, THOMAS, 2020. The influence of soil management on soil health: An on-farm study in southern Sweden: Geoderma Geoderma. 360, 114010
• COLOMBI, TINO, HERRMANN, ANKE MARIANNE, VALLENBACK, PERNILLA and KELLER, THOMAS, 2019. Cortical Cell Diameter Is Key To Energy Costs of Root Growth in Wheat: Plant Physiology Plant Physiology. 180, 2049-2060
• COLOMBI, TINO, WALDER, FLORIAN, BÜCHI, LUCIE, SOMMER, MARLIES, LIU, KEXING, SIX, JOHAN, VAN DER HEIJDEN, MARCEL G. A., CHARLES, RAPHAËL and KELLER, THOMAS, 2019. On-farm study reveals positive relationship between gas transport capacity and organic carbon content in arable soil: SOIL SOIL. 5, 91-105
• COLOMBI, TINO and KELLER, THOMAS, 2019. Developing strategies to recover crop productivity after soil compaction—A plant eco-physiological perspective: Soil and Tillage Research Soil and Tillage Research. 191, 156-161
• HERRMANN, ANKE MARIANNE and COLOMBI, TINO, 2019. Energy use efficiency of root growth – a theoretical bioenergetics framework: Plant Signaling & Behavior Plant Signaling & Behavior. 14, 1685147
• KELLER, THOMAS, SANDIN, MARIA, COLOMBI, TINO, HORN, RAINER and OR, DANI, 2019. Historical increase in agricultural machinery weights enhanced soil stress levels and adversely affected soil functioning: Soil and Tillage Research Soil and Tillage Research. 194, 104293
• COLOMBI, TINO, TORRES, LORENA CHAGAS, WALTER, ACHIM and KELLER, THOMAS, 2018. Feedbacks between soil penetration resistance, root architecture and water uptake limit water accessibility and crop growth – A vicious circle: Science of The Total Environment Science of The Total Environment. 626, 1026-1035
• COLOMBI, TINO and WALTER, ACHIM, 2017. Genetic Diversity under Soil Compaction in Wheat: Root Number as a Promising Trait for Early Plant Vigor: Frontiers in Plant Science Frontiers in Plant Science. 8, 1-14
• KELLER, THOMAS, COLOMBI, TINO, RUIZ, SIUL, MANALILI, MERVIN POGS, REK, JAN, STADELMANN, VIKTOR, WUNDERLI, HANS, BREITENSTEIN, DANI, REISER, RENÉ, OBERHOLZER, HANSRUDOLF, SCHYMANSKI, STANISLAUS, ROMERO-RUIZ, ALEJANDRO, LINDE, NIKLAS, WEISSKOPF, PETER, WALTER, ACHIM and OR, DANI, 2017. Long-Term Soil Structure Observatory for Monitoring Post-Compaction Evolution of Soil Structure: Vadose Zone Journal Vadose Zone Journal. 16, vzj2016.11.0118
• COLOMBI, TINO, KIRCHGESSNER, NORBERT, WALTER, ACHIM and KELLER, THOMAS, 2017. Root Tip Shape Governs Root Elongation Rate under Increased Soil Strength: Plant Physiology Plant Physiology. 174, 2289-2301
• COLOMBI, TINO, BRAUN, SERGE, KELLER, THOMAS and WALTER, ACHIM, 2017. Artificial macropores attract crop roots and enhance plant productivity on compacted soils: Science of The Total Environment Science of The Total Environment. 574, 1283-1293
• COLOMBI, T., KIRCHGESSNER, N., LE MARIÉ, C. A., YORK, L. M., LYNCH, J. P. and HUND, A., 2015. Next generation shovelomics: set up a tent and REST Plant and Soil. 388, 1-20
• PFEIFER, JOHANNES, KIRCHGESSNER, NORBERT, COLOMBI, TINO and WALTER, ACHIM, 2015. Rapid phenotyping of crop root systems in undisturbed field soils using X-ray computed tomography: Plant Methods Plant Methods. 11,