How do we compare the root systems of two plants and say one is healthier compared to other? Please emphasize the answer on parameters other than root length and root weight.
Archana Kumari Vegetable plant roots absorb nutrients through two distinctly different sequential processes. First, the nutrients must move from the soil to the surface of the plant roots. ... Once the nutrient gets inside the plant, the nutrients can move upward to the leaves and developing vegetable
The first root that comes from a plant is called the radicle. A root's four major functions are 1) absorption of water and inorganic nutrients, 2) anchoring of the plant body to the ground, and supporting it, 3) storage of food and nutrients, 4) trans locating water and minerals to the stem.
There are four main types of roots that a plant can have: Taproots are long and deep; fibrous roots are thinner and shallow; aerial roots are above the ground, and storage roots store most of a plant's nutrients
Taproot, main root of a primary root system, growing vertically downward. Most dicotyledonous plants (see cotyledon), such as dandelions, produce taproots, and some, such as the edible roots of carrots and beets, are specialized for food storage.
Many desert plants have adapted to the harsh environment by growing deep roots that can gather water from several feet under the surface. ... Plants in the desert have long roots to gather water from deep under the soil.
Unwanted tree and plant roots can send up new growth, even after you have cut back the root or removed the offending top growth. You can keep a root from growing back, but it may take several tries before the root dies completely.
I'm a plant pathologist, so to me "unhealthy" means diseased. I would be measuring % lesion area or % reduction in lateral root production, or % xylem vessel blockage in a tissue cross-section. On the other hand, you might be using some other definition of "unhealthy", in which case you might want to look at the amount of plant transpiration or leaf turgor pressure. You might want to describe your question about roots in more detail.
Healthy roots should be white or tan, succulent, and numerous and long enough to hold the soil in the shape of the pot. If any root tips are visible, they should be white. If the roots are brown and crumbly, that means the plant is unhealthy. If the roots are very small and don’t hold the shape of the soil, they’re probably immature – the plant is still healthy, but not ready for transplant.
The function of the root is to absorb water and nutrients. To do that effectively, roots need a large surface area, so the root system on the right would seem to be the more functional one. Of course, there are lots of things I can't see in this photo: the number of root hairs, the degree of suberization of the hypodermis, the degree of infection by a symbiont.