The root system of a plant has many functions such as absorbing water and nutrients, supporting the plant system, stabilizing the soil, and regulating the inter-root environment. At the same time, the root system also provides support for the plant and prevents it from falling over. The root system is geotropic, which is one of the important characteristics that enable plants to reorient their growth and maintain vertical growth. In addition, the root system stabilizes the soil, reduces erosion, and maintains soil biomass and ecological functions. Combining biology and physics, researchers study the characteristics and functions of plant root systems, thus providing a theoretical basis for growth regulation and genetic improvement of plants.
CD BioSciences introduces a variety of biophysical analytical techniques dedicated to the study of root growth in the field of botany, thereby revealing the mechanisms by which roots regulate soil nutrient uptake and utilization.
Nutrient and Water Uptake
The root system of plants is the main organ for absorbing soil nutrients, through which plants absorb nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and other nutrients from the soil to maintain growth and development. At the same time, the growth and secretion of substances by the root system also have an impact on soil nutrient utilization, for example, the secretion of acidic substances can improve the availability of trace elements such as iron and manganese in the soil. Biophysical technologies such as electrophysiology are characterized by easy operation, sensitive response, rapid reflection, and non-destructive in situ, which can not only obtain the water and nutritional information of plants online promptly but also quickly reflect the resistance and disease susceptibility of plants, providing technical support for plant production management.
Root Structure Observation
The morphology of the root system, such as root length, root volume, and root diameter can reflect the health of the plant. A multi-spectral imaging system is utilized to conduct imaging research on the plant root system. It is capable of realizing the growth process of plant root systems, including cell division, elongation, and lateral root formation. In addition, nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (NMR) enables non-invasive three-dimensional reconstruction of the plant root system to obtain detailed information on the morphology, distribution, and growth trajectory of the root system.
Biomechanical Analysis
The tensile properties of a single plant root are an important part of the biomechanical properties of the plant root system, which is the basis for the study of soil consolidation by the plant root system. Using biophysical techniques, different mechanical properties of plant roots can be measured and analyzed during the growth process. This information not only reflects the growth status of the root system but also further predicts the penetration ability and stability of the root system in the soil.
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CD BioSciences is a biophysical specialist working to establish a fully oriented technological platform for plant root research aimed at unraveling the mechanisms of root growth, development, and uptake. If you would like more information about our services, please contact us.
For research use only, not
intended for any clinical use.
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