npj Biological Physics and Mechanics.BiophysicsPeer-reviewed journal article
Illuminating root-soil mechanics
James Le HouxiD, Daniel McKay FletcheriD, Alberto LeonardiiD, Katherine A. WilliamsiD, Nancy C. WalkeriD, Fernando Alvarez‐BorgesiD, Ebrahim Afsar DizajiD, Madhu Murthy, Ronan SmithiD, Liam PereraiD, Navid Aslani, Andrew G. JamesiD, Sharif I. AhmediD, Tiina RooseiD, Siul RuiziD
Abstract
Soil compaction and escalating global drought increase soil strength and stiffness. It remains unclear which plant root biomechanical mechanisms/traits enable growth in these harsh conditions. Here, we combine synchrotron X-ray computed tomography with spatially resolved X-ray diffraction to characterize the biomechanics of a replica root-soil system. We map the strain field around the root tip, finding strong agreement with finite element simulations, thereby demonstrating a promising new in-vivo measurement protocol.
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- 1.85
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- top 16%
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