Publication Date:
2015-09-10
Description:
Aims Belowground plant biomass accumulation is facilitated by the photosynthetic capacity of the canopy. We investigated the hypothesis that a precise monitoring of leaf area development provides the potential to extrapolate to belowground biomass development and to assess the timing and the degree of an inhibition of the belowground biomass generation. Sugar beet seedlings and the retarding effect of beet cyst nematodes (BCN) were used as a model system. Methods Thirty BCN infested plants and 30 non-infested plants were grown in three litre pots under greenhouse conditions. Top-view images of the plant leaf canopy were taken every two or three days. Leaf and beet biomass were measured at three different dates (32, 41 and 70 days after sowing (das)) by harvesting the plants. Results Leaf dry weight and beet fresh weight were strongly correlated 32 and 41 das. The canopy area calculated was highly correlated with both leaf and beet biomass at 32 and 41 das, and was significantly reduced in the nematode infested plants from 22 to 60 das. Conclusions Our results show the ability of canopy-imaging based approaches to evaluate plant biomass during the early developmental stages and to detect a delay in plant development caused by a below-ground stress such as nematodes.
Print ISSN:
0032-079X
Electronic ISSN:
1573-5036
Topics:
Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition
