Growth in Turface Clay Permits Root Hair Phenotyping Along the Entire Crown Root in Cereal Crops and Demonstrates That Root Hair Growth Can Extend Well Beyond the Root Hair Zone

The study demonstrated that using Turface® clay as a growth substrate allowed for effective phenotyping of root hairs along the entire lengths of crown roots in cereal crops such as maize, wheat, and finger millet. Contrary to the traditional belief that root hairs are confined to a specific root hair zone near the root tip, the researchers observed that root hairs continued to grow beyond this zone, particularly on older root segments. This finding suggested that the Turface® fertigation system could provide new insights into the dynamics of root hair growth and potentially aid in crop improvement. However, the applicability of this system to field conditions required further evaluation.