A new capability for high-resolution 3D imaging of soil structure and soil chemistry in the rhizosphere
EMSL Project ID
50164
Abstract
We aim to answer the following critical questions about the rhizosphere: (i) What is the distribution of important nutrient elements like P in the soil and around the root? (ii) How much of the nutrient uptake occurs via root hairs vs the actual root? (iii) Is there preferential nutrient uptake by root hairs, and how does the surrounding soil structure affect it? In order to address these questions, we aim to expand EMSL’s multiscale imaging capabilities by employing synchrotron-based x-ray tomography combined with x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy to investigate critical nutrient cycling and plant-soil interactions in the rhizosphere. This effort addresses a major need stated by a recent DOE-BER Workshop Report1, which is the development of “State-of-the-Art Technologies for Understanding Rhizospheres”. While in line with EMSL’s multiscale imaging efforts, the project also fills a “resolution gap” between electron microscopy-based imaging and existing x-ray tomography capabilities, where 3D structural information on the sub-10 μm scale is lacking. In addition, by adding 3D chemical information on selected soil components from the spectroscopy, we develop a new capability to better understand chemical and physical processes in the rhizosphere.
Project Details
Start Date
2018-03-01
End Date
2018-04-16
Status
Closed
Released Data Link
Team
Principal Investigator
Co-Investigator(s)
Team Members