Instrumentation for Isotope-aided Studies on Plant Root Development

An instrumentation and a method has been developed to investigate the growth of plant roots by injection of a radioactive isotope (Se-75) in the stem base. Since the isotope is transferred to active roots, it is possible to investigate where in the soil profile the growth occurs. The distribution of radioactivity in the root system is measured by means of an automatic detection equipment controlled by a portable PC. The design of the detection probe is discussed and its employment in the field is surveyed. The whole instrumentation is compact and light-weighted and can been used to study the effects of irrigation and fertilization on crops growing under field conditions. The results obtained in field tests show how the levels of moisture and nutrients influence the root development.