4601

This innovation appears to be the first description of using beads made with “natural” gelling materials to observe plant roots. The bead formulation is novel and optimized for plant growth.

ISU researchers reported their invention to be a transparent soil medium which can provide a heterogeneous environment with aeration and porous condition for plants. The medium is composed of commonly used gels and is transparent in a basal medium solution. The transparent soil composition is controllable, affordable, and requires simple processing protocols. Brassica rapa grown in transparent soil shows root phenotypes resembling those of pure soils, as opposed to the phenotypes observed with homogeneous gels.

• Shelf life

• Aeration by using beads

• Potential for near infrared root imaging (no need for visible light)

• Easy to prepare