Mapping soil deformation around plant roots using in vivo 4D X-ray computed tomography and digital volume correlation
Mapping soil deformation around plant roots using in vivo 4D X-ray computed tomography and digital volume correlation
The mechanical impedance of soils inhibits the growth of plant roots, often being the most significant physical limitation to root system development. Non-invasive imaging techniques have recently been used to investigate the development of root system architecture over time, but the relationship with soil deformation is usually neglected. Correlative mapping approaches parameterised using 2D and 3D image data have recently gained prominence for quantifying physical deformation in composite materials including fibre-reinforced polymers and trabecular bone. Digital Image Correlation (DIC) and Digital Volume Correlation (DVC) are computational techniques which use the inherent material texture of surfaces and volumes, captured using imaging techniques, to map full-field deformation components in samples during physical loading.
Here we develop an experimental assay and methodology for four-dimensional, in vivo X-ray Computed Tomography (XCT) and apply a Digital Volume Correlation (DVC) approach to the data to quantify deformation. The method is validated for a field-derived soil under conditions of uniaxial compression, and a calibration study is used to quantify thresholds of displacement and strain measurement. The validated and calibrated approach is then demonstrated for an in vivo test case in which an extending maize root in field-derived soil was imaged hourly using XCT over a growth period of 19 h. This allowed full-field soil deformation data and 3D root tip dynamics to be quantified in parallel for the first time.
This method paves the way for comparative studies of contrasting soils and plant genotypes, improving our understanding of the fundamental mechanical processes which influence root system development.
digital volume correlation, soil, granular media, plant roots, computational biology, computed tomography, biomechanics, x-ray computed tomography
1802-1811
Keyes, S.
ed3ee62b-e257-4b92-922c-023b232e8145
Gillard, F.
848426e3-26c2-4316-a0e6-c8de9cb5e3e0
Soper, N.
91a18ff0-58df-4cfe-b454-4b23d7f109a5
Mavrogordato, M.N.
f3e0879b-118a-463a-a130-1c890e9ab547
Sinclair, I.
6005f6c1-f478-434e-a52d-d310c18ade0d
Roose, T.
3581ab5b-71e1-4897-8d88-59f13f3bccfe
14 June 2016
Keyes, S.
ed3ee62b-e257-4b92-922c-023b232e8145
Gillard, F.
848426e3-26c2-4316-a0e6-c8de9cb5e3e0
Soper, N.
91a18ff0-58df-4cfe-b454-4b23d7f109a5
Mavrogordato, M.N.
f3e0879b-118a-463a-a130-1c890e9ab547
Sinclair, I.
6005f6c1-f478-434e-a52d-d310c18ade0d
Roose, T.
3581ab5b-71e1-4897-8d88-59f13f3bccfe
Keyes, S., Gillard, F., Soper, N., Mavrogordato, M.N., Sinclair, I. and Roose, T.
(2016)
Mapping soil deformation around plant roots using in vivo 4D X-ray computed tomography and digital volume correlation.
Journal of Biomechanics, 49 (9), .
(doi:10.1016/j.jbiomech.2016.04.023).
Abstract
The mechanical impedance of soils inhibits the growth of plant roots, often being the most significant physical limitation to root system development. Non-invasive imaging techniques have recently been used to investigate the development of root system architecture over time, but the relationship with soil deformation is usually neglected. Correlative mapping approaches parameterised using 2D and 3D image data have recently gained prominence for quantifying physical deformation in composite materials including fibre-reinforced polymers and trabecular bone. Digital Image Correlation (DIC) and Digital Volume Correlation (DVC) are computational techniques which use the inherent material texture of surfaces and volumes, captured using imaging techniques, to map full-field deformation components in samples during physical loading.
Here we develop an experimental assay and methodology for four-dimensional, in vivo X-ray Computed Tomography (XCT) and apply a Digital Volume Correlation (DVC) approach to the data to quantify deformation. The method is validated for a field-derived soil under conditions of uniaxial compression, and a calibration study is used to quantify thresholds of displacement and strain measurement. The validated and calibrated approach is then demonstrated for an in vivo test case in which an extending maize root in field-derived soil was imaged hourly using XCT over a growth period of 19 h. This allowed full-field soil deformation data and 3D root tip dynamics to be quantified in parallel for the first time.
This method paves the way for comparative studies of contrasting soils and plant genotypes, improving our understanding of the fundamental mechanical processes which influence root system development.
Text
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- Accepted Manuscript
More information
Accepted/In Press date: 18 April 2016
e-pub ahead of print date: 28 April 2016
Published date: 14 June 2016
Keywords:
digital volume correlation, soil, granular media, plant roots, computational biology, computed tomography, biomechanics, x-ray computed tomography
Organisations:
Optoelectronics Research Centre, Bioengineering Group
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 394374
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/394374
ISSN: 0021-9290
PURE UUID: 843b379d-8cff-4544-af86-579c4cf07e4d
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Date deposited: 18 May 2016 10:32
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 05:34
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Contributors
Author:
F. Gillard
Author:
N. Soper
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