Root Study: Why Is It behind Other Plant Studies?

Abstract

Until the 1980s, root studies were typically conducted in nutrient solution, because of the technical difficulties of studying roots in their natural environment, soil. Recent innovations and the realization that there are gaps between the expected and actual performance of plant root systems have emphasized the need for more realistic solutions. This re- view analyzes the study of plant roots in view of developments in soil science, microbiology, botany and plant physiol- ogy, and recently the introduction of molecular biology and computerized imaging.