Three Dimensional Phenotype Quantitative System of Seedling Root

Abstract. Roots are important organs of plants. Root system architecture (RSA), the spatial configuration of roots, of rice (Oryza sativa L.) has shown a high degree of diversity. RSA needs to be quantified with high accuracy to understand the relationship between RSA and functionality of rice roots. This study developed a three-dimensional (3D) imaging system to quantify the RSA of rice roots. In this work, rice seedlings were cultivated in glass tubes filled with transparent jelly culture medium for ten days. The two-dimensional (2D) side-view images of the seedlings were acquired using the imaging system. Silhouettes of rice roots were then identified from the 2D side-view images using image recognition technology. Three-dimensional images of the rice roots were next reconstructed using the silhouettes and space-carving algorithm.