Neutron radiography of a root growing in soil with vanadium

Abstract

We show how the root activity of water uptake is inhibited by the presence of vanadium in soil. A soybean seedling was grown in an aluminum container where water absorbing polymer with V was imbedded with soil. The sample was irradiated with thermal neutrons to get the radiograph on an X-ray film. Through image analysis, the water uptake manner both around the main root and side root was studied. When the water uptake along the main root was measured, the effect of V was observed as early as two days whilst no observable change in morphological development of main root as well as side root was detected. Since the microscopic research of water movement around the root is not well studied, this result is expected to be applied further, especially in constructing water absorbing model of the root.