Benchtop Root System Analyzer
Crown Root Analyser LK-1200
Eco-mind LK-1200 Benchtop Root Analyser, designed for digital rotational imaging of the root system/crown after rinsing. The analyser can be used for continuous rotational imaging of the rinsed root system from any angle (1° steps, freely adjustable intervals), analysing hundreds of (whole) plant root systems per day. The LK-1200 Benchtop Root Analyser is especially suited for high throughput analysis of root crowns. With professional control software (OS Windows) and image analysis software, the LK-1200 can be used to conveniently measure length, diameter, area, surface and topology of entire root systems, root crowns or individual root branches up to a height/length of 40 cm and a diameter of 30 cm. The camera position, centering on the root system, can be conveniently set within the control software. With the included barcode scanner, the LK-1200 can quickly and accurately assign the name/number of imaged root samples to the image analysis software. For more information on how the LK-1200 Root Analyser works, please refer to the publication by Seethepalli et al. (2020, see reference and potential applications below) and the related RhizoVision website on crown root phenotyping. The LK-1200 is an advanced version of the RhizoVision Crown open hardware, featuring rotational imaging, automatic camera positioning and advanced imaging qualities.
An even more advanced version of the Benchtop Root Analyser software is now available that allows you to perform root analysis on 3D root images (LK-1200 Pro). Request a quote, and/or get in contact to discuss the details of this versatile pipeline for crown root analysis.
| References | Crown Root Analyser | OPEN |
Applications of the LK-1200 - e.g. high throughput crown root phenotyping
The upper part of the root system that is connected to the shoot and can be dug out of the topsoil ("shovelomics") is called the root crown. Root crown phenotyping can be used for marker-assisted breeding, genetic mapping, and to gain insight into the impact of root system architecture on soil resource acquisition. The LK-1200 is equipped with optimized imaging protocols and image analysis programs tailored for efficient, consistent and reliable assessment of root crown phenotypes based on the RhizoVision Crown platform. This platform combines an imaging unit, image acquisition software and image analysis software that have been fine-tuned to extract measurements from numerous root crowns. The hardware uses a backlit, monochrome machine vision camera to capture silhouettes of root systems, while the software simplifies the process with easy-to-use graphical interfaces for image acquisition and analysis.
- The open source RhizoVision Explorer software offers a 'Whole Root' mode specifically designed for root crown analysis. Continue reading
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It accepts high contrast greyscale images or binary segmented images from other software as input as well. RhizoVision Crown, a platform provided by RhizoVision, combines a monochrome camera with a backlight to capture the outline of roots. If desired, the RhizoVision Imager can be used in conjunction with the system, allowing image capture triggered by a barcode and saving the file with the corresponding barcode ID. RhizoVision Explorer excels at quickly, consistently and accurately extracting root features from large image sets. The RhizoVision Analyser, on which the Root Analyser is based, has been physically validated with copper wire and tested with over 10k simulated images of dicot and monocot root systems to ensure accuracy. The platform was then used to phenotype soybean and wheat root crowns, including approximately 2,800 soybean (Glycine max) root crowns and nearly 1,800 wheat (Triticum aestivum) root crowns. Principal component analysis revealed similar correlations between traits in both species, but different heritabilities, highlighting the need to account for species and population variation. The LK-1200 integrated benchtop root analyser system significantly streamlines high-throughput phenotyping of crop root crowns and sets a new benchmark for plant phenotyping platforms targeting washed root systems/root crowns.
Link to Rhizovision: https://www.rhizovision.com/imaging/root-crown-phenotyping
In analogy to the LK-1200 crown root phenotyping system, consider the open source Shoot Phenobox for rotational RGB imaging and phenotyping of shoots.
For chlorophyll fluorescence imaging and bioluminescence imaging, consider the competitively priced PlantView-230F and PlantView-100 Imagers.
Rhizobox Systems and large, mobile Rhizotrons are available to grow and monitor root systems prior to analysis with the LK-1200.
RhizoPot Scanner Systems are a compromise between rhizobox studies with automatic image acquisition and mesoscosm studies.