High throughput root phenotyping using the “Rhizo” suite

While automated high throughput plant shoot phenotyping (e.g. measurement of leaf, fruits) is progressing quite rapidly in a range of platforms, morphometric characterization of plant roots (root architectural traits) is still lagging behind, due to both the high plasticity of roots and obvious technical difficulties to access them in situ. This is especially relevant for field experiments but also in controlled conditions. In order to get automated, non-destructive and fast phenotyping of roots, a range of tools and methods have been conceived within the Phenotyping Platform for Plant and Microorganisms Interactions (4PMI) in the context of the Phenome Project (French Plant Phenotyping Network, https://www.phenome-fppn.fr/), and accessible in transnational access through the EPPN2020 project (http://www.2020-horizon.com/EPPN-European-Plant-Phenotyping-Network(EPPN)-s211.html). Specialized containers (RhizoTubes) and imaging cabins (RhizoCabs) have been developed and already evaluated for a range of species in different environmental conditions (Jeudy et al., 2016). This will be briefly summarized together with recent results conducted on large number of maize, wheat, and pea genotypes subjected to contrasted environmental conditions. How to access through EPPN2020 to these tools will be presented. Alltogether, besides the bottleneck represented by image analysis, this will demonstrate the power of high throughput root phenotyping devices and methods to identify plant more tolerant to abiotic stress, including conditions of fluctuating conditions of soil resources availability