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Electrical capacitance estimates crop root traits best under dry conditions—a case study in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.)

Formally Refereed

Abstract

Purpose Electrical capacitance (EC) is widely used to measure root traits especially in hydroponic and wet soil environments, but its feasibility was recently questioned due to the possible leakage of electrical current before entering the root system. To investigate whether the current can travel deeper in woody roots, EC was evaluated in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) grown under diferent soil moisture conditions (two rounds of pot experiments, one PVC tube experiment and one feld experiment).

Keywords

Electrical capacitance, Root biomass, Soil moisture, Root tissue density, Cotton

Citation

Gu, Huijie; Liu, Liantao; Butnor, John R.; Sun, Hongyong; Zhang, Xiying; Li, Cundong; Liu, Xiuwei. 2021. Electrical capacitance estimates crop root traits best under dry conditions—a case study in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.). Plant and Soil. 467(1-2): 549-567. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-021-05094-6.
Citations
https://www.fs.usda.gov/research/treesearch/62850