Water uptake in roots
Truly predicting root uptake of water: A case study with wheat
Project facts
- Start date: August 27, 2012
- End date: August 26, 2015
- Funder: BBSRC
- Award: £307,485
- Investigators:
Prof Tiina Roose (PI),
Prof Sacha Mooney
- Researcher:
Dr Saoirse Tracy
Background
The aim of this project is to develop models of water movement and uptake accounting for the micro-scale structure of soils and roots and apply these models to evaluate differing wheat root architectures. By combining expertise in two key areas, firstly experimentally through X-ray Computed
3D core section of a saturated sand soil sample. Segmented phases are coloured brown (soil), blue (water filled pores) and black (air filled pores).
Tomography measurement of the soil and root micro-structure and mathematically through the use of homogenisation theory to rigorously 'up-scale' we can simultaneously advance the microscopic understanding of the processes at the soil-water-root interface and by progressing to the field scale in wheat, an important crop plant at a time of predicted environmental change.