Abstract
Isolation of plant roots from soil or substrate for biomass measurement is time-consuming and can be a limiting factor influencing experimental designs, especially with mature woody plants. An electric-powered root separator was developed that sped sample preparation for root dry mass determination with a capacity of 40 L of container substrate or 32 kg of sandy soil. No water was required for machine operation and an estimated fourfold reduction in total processing time was achieved. Extent of root recovery was quantified by processing five woody plant species grown in two different container substrates and in soil, resulting in a minimum yield of 98%.
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