Background and aims Hyperspectral imaging is becoming a key, high-throughput technique in plant research. However, its application to roots has not yet received sufficient attention. The aims of this study are to identify spectral features that distinguish fine roots from soil, non-woody roots of different species, and dead from living roots, and to identify appropriate analytical techniques. Methods Roots of Alopecurus praten...

Purpose The complex process of post-mining land reclamation poses a great challenge in combatting land degradation and food insecurity. In this study, a field experiment was conducted to determine the effects of different soil amendments on soil organic carbon (SOC) characteristics and plant biomass to reclaim a highly degraded soil after tin-mining. Methods Quantity and quality of SOC, annual plant biomass, and their relation...

Purpose Since principles of conservation agriculture mimic the soil conditions of undisturbed natural soils, linking aggregation and dissolved organic matter (DOM) occlusion would therefore provide a targeted descriptor for soil health advances of innovative farming systems. This study aimed to assess structure-related DOM patterns of conservation farming systems and underlying bio-chemical drivers by using a novel method for...

Purpose Tackling the global carbon deficit through soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration in agricultural systems has been a focal point in recent years. However, we still lack a comprehensive understanding of actual on-farm SOC sequestration potentials in order to derive effective strategies. Methods Therefore, we chose 21 study sites in North-Eastern Austria covering a wide range of relevant arable soil types and determined...

Aims Diversity of root systems among genetic resources can contribute to optimize water and nutrient uptake. Topsoil exploitation vs. deep soil exploration represent two contrasting ideotypes in relation to resource use. Our study reveals how rooting patterns changed between wheat wild progenitors and landraces in regard to these ideotypes. Methods Root (partitioning, morphology, distribution, elongation, anatomy) and shoot tr...