Progresses of root imaging technology and the perspective Application on potato root analysis

Root system was an important organ for plants to absorb nutrients and moisture from the soil and support the aboveground part of plants, and it was one of the hotspots of plant research. However, due to the complexity and opacity of the plant root growth environment, the development of plant roots was relatively slow. In recent years, the rapid development of root imaging technology provided a more intuitive and effective research method for the plant roots study. Potato was the main crop harvesting underground tubers, and the application of underground root imaging technology in potato research was particularly important. In this paper, the advantages, the disadvantages and application area of the traditional imaging technology (glass pane and glass tube method) and the modern imaging technology (Neutron imaging technology, X-ray scanning technology, Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging technology, Fluorescence imaging technology, Laser confocal imaging technology, Multi-spectral imaging technology, Hyperspectral imaging technology and Computed tomography imaging technology, etc.) were systematically summarized and compared. In addition, according to the potato growth characteristics and growth environment, several efficient imaging technology and analysis system monitoring potato root development in situ were screened. This review offered a reference for the selection of imaging technology that could be widely adapted to the tuberous plants research. (authors)