4D Structural root architecture modeling from digital twins by X-Ray Computed Tomography.

Abstract

Abstract Background Breakthrough imaging technologies may challenge the plant phenotyping bottleneck regarding marker-assisted breeding and genetic mapping. In this context, X-Ray CT (computed tomography) technology can accurately obtain the digital twin of root system architecture (RSA) but computational methods to quantify RSA traits and analyze their changes over time are limited. RSA traits extremely affect agricultural productivity. We develop a spatial–temporal root architectural modeling method based on 4D data from X-ray CT. This novel approach is optimized for high-throughput phenotyping considering the cost-effective time to process the data and the accuracy and robustness of the results. Significant root architectural traits, including root elongation rate, number, length, growth angle, height, diameter, branching map, and volume of axial and lateral roots are extracted from the model based on the digital twin. Our pipeline is divided into two major steps: (i) first, we compute the curve-skeleton based on a constrained Laplacian smoothing algorithm. This skeletal structure determines the registration of the roots over time; (ii) subsequently, the RSA is robustly modeled by a cylindrical fitting to spatially quantify several traits. The experiment was carried out at the Ag Alumni Seed Phenotyping Facility (AAPF) from Purdue University in West Lafayette (IN, USA). Results Roots from three samples of tomato plants at two different times and three samples of corn plants at three different times were scanned. Regarding the first step, the PCA analysis of the skeleton is able to accurately and robustly register temporal roots. From the second step, several traits were computed. Two of them were accurately validated using the root digital twin as a ground truth against the cylindrical model: number of branches (RRMSE better than 9%) and volume, reaching a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.84 and a P < 0.001. Conclusions The experimental results support the viability of the developed methodology, being able to provide scalability to a comprehensive analysis in order to perform high throughput root phenotyping.

Plant phenotyping relevance

X線CTの4Dデータから根系構造形質を抽出する計算手法を開発し、精度検証とハイスループット根系フェノタイピングへの適用可能性を示した研究であり、方法が中心的です。

Code and data availability

The paper describes X-ray CT root digital twins, an RSA modeling pipeline, and supplementary files (Additional file 1: dataset; Additional file 2: video), but no public repository, deposit, or authors' URL for the dataset or code is provided in the supplied blocks. The only URLs present are the license links, a PDAL Po

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