In this talk, I will present new approaches developed in my lab to observe, image, characterize and model the growth of root systems. We have developed a new type of substrate, named “transparent soil”, for in situ live imaging of roots and associated microorganisms. Transparency of the soil substrate can be combined to high resolution microscopy to study the biophysical processes of growth in soil, but low cost and/or high throughput systems can also be used to provide data for models at larger scales. Image analysis techniques are being developed to quantify root trajectories and branching structure. Finally, a new generation of continuous models are being developed to understand how the functioning of apical meristems links to the formation of root system architectures and their zones of influence in soil.
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