Root architectural (RSA) models have become important tools in root research and plant phenotyping for studying root traits, processes, and interactions with the environment. The models have been used to simulate how various root traits and processes influence water and nutrient uptake. At a more technical level, they have been used to develop phenotyping technology, particularly for testing algorithms for segmenting roots. To compute these quantitative estimates regarding plant nutrition and root functioning, much development occurred in the last decade increasing the complexity of the models. This chapter describes first the application of the models to questions in plant biology, breeding, and agronomy, and second the development of the models. It concludes with a small outlook suggesting that models need benchmarking and validation and that new developments are likely to include better descriptions of root plasticity responses and focus on biological interactions among (soil) organisms, including mycorrhizal fungi.
Hope in Change: The Role of Root Plasticity in Crop Yield Stability
