Boosting soil productivity using the Australian Synchrotron

The Australian Synchrotron in Melbourne is a super high-tech operation that produces powerful beams of light a million times brighter than the sun.

In a partnership between GRDC, the University of South Australia and the University of Queensland, researchers have been given access to the Australian Synchrotron and it's giving them a perspective on soil they've never had before. They're using the Synchrotron's imaging and medical beamline to produce high-quality 3D imagery of roots growing directly into large, undisturbed soil cores. To find out more, we caught up with the University of South Australia's Dr Casey Doolette and Dr Peter Kopittke from the University of Queensland.

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Contacts

DrPeter Kopittke
University of Queensland
p.kopittke@uq.edu.au

Dr Casey Doolette
University of South Australia
casey.doolette@unisa.edu.au

More Information

GRDC YouTube – Crop root research taken to the next level

GroundCover – Synchrotron looks deep into wheat’s nutritional value

GroundCover – Synchrotron technology sheds light on root distribution