Germany
May 9, 2016

Plant phenotyping specialist LemnaTec has developed a technique to analyse root system architecture, based on topological skeleton technology. The system uses a series of digital images to monitor change as the roots develop.

A topological skeleton is a simplified representation of the shape of an object, depicted by a small number of pixels. It provides information about geometry and topology and can therefore be used to characterise objects.

Using LemnaTec’s phenotyping software, an image is created in which pixels are valued according to their distance from the object's boundary. When colours are assigned to the values, dark pixels represent areas close to the edge while light pixels are further from the boundary. The image is then enhanced using special filters and the result is a binary image where the foreground pixels represent the skeleton.

LemnaTec has successfully adapted this process to analyse the root system architecture of plants. The system can rapidly assess high numbers of plants and provide detailed quantitative information about root systems including length, quantity, orientation and structure.

Since 1998, LemnaTec has led the development of digital phenotyping systems. Now with more than 1,000 users across the globe, LemnaTec is the world’s most successful supplier of complete phenotyping solutions for plant research. 

For more information about LemnaTec, please visit http://www.lemnatec.com

Website: http://www.lemnatec.de

Published: May 9, 2016