Illuminating root-soil mechanics

Le Houx, J.; McKay Fletcher, D.; Leonardi, A.; Williams, K.; Walker, N.; Albarez Borges, F.; Afsar Dizaj, E.; Murthy, M.; Smith, R.; Perera, L.; Asiani, N.; James, A.; Ahmed, S.; Roose, T.; Ruiz, S.

doi:10.1101/2024.10.02.616056

bioRxiv · 10.1101/2024.10.02.616056

Illuminating root-soil mechanics

Le Houx, J.·McKay Fletcher, D.·Leonardi, A.·Williams, K.·Walker, N.·Albarez Borges, F.·Afsar Dizaj, E.·Murthy, M.·Smith, R.·Perera, L.·Asiani, N.·James, A.·Ahmed, S.·Roose, T.·Ruiz, S.

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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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Le Houx, J., McKay Fletcher, D., Leonardi, A., Williams, K., Walker, N., Albarez Borges, F., Afsar Dizaj, E., Murthy, M., Smith, R., Perera, L., Asiani, N., James, A., Ahmed, S., Roose, T., Ruiz, S.. 2024-10-03. Illuminating root-soil mechanics. https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.10.02.616056

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