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Fig. 8 | BMC Plant Biology

Fig. 8

From: Simultaneously maximizing root/mycorrhizal growth and phosphorus uptake by cotton plants by optimizing water and phosphorus management

Fig. 8

Root box specifications and diagram of the cotton cultivation method. Root boxes were made of 8-mm thick glass (length and width: 60 cm; internal thickness: 10 cm), with an opening on top for planting cotton. Four sides of each root box were covered with opaque paint, and the remaining side (60 cm × 60 cm) was covered with opaque plastic, which was removed to observe the root morphology. The root boxes were maintained at a 45° angle between this side and the ground to ensure the cotton roots will grow close to the glass wall. Each root box consisted of two cotton plants separated by 20 cm. A drip irrigation system was simulated to accurately control the flow of water. During the experiment, the opaque plastic was removed and replaced with a transparent plastic film, after which the cotton root architecture was traced using a black marker and then scanned to quantify the root length changes (). At the end of the experiment, the shoots were harvested, additionally, to examine cotton growth and Puptake (). The soil in each root box was cut into cubes with 10-cm sides (25 blocks per root box). The roots were collected after the soil samples were passed through a sieve for root length measurements, while the soil samples were collected for determining hyphal density, soil water level, and available P content ()

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