NSW Department of Primary Industries | CSU Homepage
20 January 2006
CSU supports cutting-edge research on plant roots
Charles Sturt University has announced that it will provide more than $65,000 to enhance root research. The request for funding was lead by E H Graham Centre post-doctoral research scientist, Dr Sergio Moroni.
The funds will be used to purchase a root imaging system for use in the field, a rotary root washer and a digital root measurement system.
Dr Sergio Moroni, E H Graham Centre post-doctoral research scientist.
As Sergio explained, 'there are many projects at the University that involve root measurements and this successful request for funding will enhance our analysis system'. These projects are diverse and include research on grapevine roots and carbohydrate reserves, shrub and pasture water-use research, canola yields and rice allelopathy.
The root imaging system comprises a digital camera that can be lowered into clear plastic tubes placed in the ground. The underground views captured by the camera are transferred to a computer in the field, avoiding tedious file conversions and instant quality control. The rotary root washer enables root samples to be efficiently washed and is specifically designed to enable the recovery of very fine root hairs. The digital root measurement system comprises two software packages; one is designed to quantitatively analyse washed root samples, the other is designed to assist with the processing of images captured in root observation tubes.
For more information contact Dr Sergio Moroni (ph. 02 6933 2429).