Institut für Hochfrequenztechnik Technische Universität Braunschweig Department of Biological and Medical Psychology Non invasive imaging of plants and

Institut für HochfrequenztechnikTechnische Universität Braunschweig

Department of Biological and Medical Psychology

Non invasive imaging of plants and plant roots in substrate with Nuclear Magnetic Resonant Imaging (NMRI) and (Sub) Terrahertz Imaging (THz)

Dr. Axel JungRicarda van der Heijden Beta Klinik Bonn

Dr. Karsten Specht University of Bergen

Prof. Dr. Martin Koch IHF TU Braunschweig

Dr. Jörg VandenhirtzMatthias EberiusDirk Vandenhirtz LemnaTec



LemnaTec High Throughput Phenotyping Platform



Goal of this joint study:

Can Nuclear Magnetic Resonant Imaging (NMRI) or (Sub) Terrahertz Imaging (Thz) be used for obtaining non invasive and valuable information about plant roots in substrate?

• 3D root morphologie• 3D root dynamics• 3D root activity (water distribution)• etc...



Used Plants:Corn Plants in transparent pots:



Siemens MAGNETOM Espree 1.5T

NMR settings: *

B = 1.5 TTE = 12 msTR = 5.0 sFoV = 250 x 250ST = 1 mm

* Dr. Peter Blümeler FZ Jülich ICG-3 ecoNMR „Magnetic Resonance of plants“Price: 1.5 Mio Euro



First Results of Dr. Axel Jung, Beta-Klinik, Bonn



First Results of Dr. Axel Jung, Beta-Klinik, Bonn



Problems:

• artefacts (debris) in substrate hide roots (H2O + Fe)• low contrast between roots and background• correct setting of NMR has to be researched

-> Contact to Dr. Karsten Specht Department of Biological and Medical Psychology University of Bergen, Norway Research on NMRI

Dr. Specht tried NMRI of his office Plant...



First Results of Dr. Karsten Specht, Uni Bergen:

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First Results of Dr. Karsten Specht, Uni Bergen:

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NMRI Conclusions:+ Standard medical NMR scanners are able to provide 3D information about root architecture and dynamics with mm resolution

+ NMRI is a promising tool for non invasive root imaging of plants

o Correct NMR settings for root imaging have to be researched and optimized

o Peat substrate minimizes H2O and Fe background problems

- Measurement time (ca. 20 min.) not suitable for high throughput

- Very expensive (ca. 1.5 Mio Euro)



Complementary option for non invasive and penetrating plant sensors:

Prof. Dr. Martin KochInstitut für

HochfrequenztechnikTU Braunschweig

InfraredMicrowaves Ultraviolet X-Ray

Visible

10 9

1011

1012

1013

1014

1015

1016

1017

1010

Frequency (Hz)

“THz”Radiowaves

108

107

THz radation can be considered as high-frequency microwaves or very long waved light.



Wate

r co

nce

ntr

ati

on

Fresh leaf 48 hours after it has been cut out

B.B. Hu und M.C. Nuss, Opt. Lett. 20, 1716 (1995)

First THz image of a leaf with high resolution

Bell LabsLucent Technologies

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First Results of Prof. Dr. Martin Koch, Braunschweig:

THz transmitter

THzdetector

moving a coffee plantbetween a sub THz transmitter and detector…

…and measuring thetransmission of thesub THz signal



The lift and rotating devices of the LemnaTec Phenotyping Platform are already integrated for 3D THz

scans in cylindrical coordinates:z

THz

Combining 3D THz transmission measurements with visible 3D RGB image data of the LemnaTec

Phenotyping Platform

transmitter

detector



THz Conclusions:

+ Measurement time (ca. 2 min.) suitable for high throughput

+ Cheaper as NMRI (ca. 150,000 Euro)

+ THz is a promising alternative for non invasive 3D imaging of plants

+ plastic is tranparent for THz radiation -> plastic hydroponics could be used for THz root imaging

o Hardware and software for THz root imaging have to be researched and optimized

- Resolution 1 cm not suitable for root architecture



Conclusions:

NMRI THz

Hardware

standard of the shelf technology

to be developed

Software

to be developed to be developed

Throughput

ca. 20 min. per plant ca. 2 min. per plant

Resolution

ca. 1 mm ca. 1 cm

Hazards high B-Field none

Price ca. 1.5 Mio. Euro ca. 150,000 Euro

Target roots and shoots shoots (roots?)

Documents

Institut für Hochfrequenztechnik Technische Universität Braunschweig Department of Biological and Medical Psychology Non invasive imaging of plants and