Methods and Technologies at the
Jülich Plant Phenotyping Centre
GROW Map-root
Digital Image Sequence Processing
Setup for monitoring of root growth via digital image sequence processing
Data Acquisition
- fixation of a root in a plane parallel to camera
- illumination with near infrared-diodes
image sequence at high frequency in near infrared throughout day and night
- root tracker: the software moves the camera in such a way that the camera is tracking the growing root tip.
Image analysis
- optical flow analysis of image sequence resulting in velocity vector fields
calculation of divergence to obtain growth maps
Results (example)
Spatial and temporal distribution of root growth illustraing typical growth patterns across a growing root
Literature
Nagel KA, Schurr U, Walter A. 2006. Dynamics of root growth stimulation in Nicotiana tabacum in increasing light intensity. Plant Cell Environ.29:1936–45
Walter A, Spies H, Terjung S, Kuesters R, Kirchgeßner N, Schurr U. 2002. Spatio-temporal dynamics of expansion growth in roots: automatic quantification of diurnal course and temperature response by digital image sequence processing. J. Exp. Bot. 53:689–98
