My late grandfather the Rev. Edward Keyes, was a rural parish priest, a poet and a composer. He had deep sensitivity for the human condition, for the quiet beauties of nature, and for the mysteries of transcendence. These priorities spill out in two volumes of poetry, published late in his life: Intimations and A Few Late Leaves. …
Link to paper We show how a combination of X-ray computed tomography (X-CT) and image-based modelling can be used to calculate the effect of moisture content and compaction on the macroscopic structural properties of soil. Our method is based on the equations derived in Daly & Roose (2018 Proc. R. Soc. A474, 20170141), which we have …
Link to paper Phosphorus fertilisation is crucial for crop yields. However, traditional phosphate resources are dwindling, thus a more efficient use of phosphorus fertilisers is required for sustainable farming. This study demonstrates the scope of image-based models parameterised by elemental maps by assessing how a dynamic root system architecture may improve phosphorus root uptake from …
Link to paper This investigation establishes a system of gold nanoparticles that show good colloidal stability as an X-ray computed tomography (XCT) contrast agent under soil conditions. Gold nanoparticles offer numerous beneficial traits for experiments in biology including: comparatively minimal phytotoxicity, X-ray attenuation of the material and the capacity for functionalization. However, soil salinity, acidity …
Link to paper The growth of rice in submerged soils depends on its ability to form continuous gas channels—aerenchyma—through which oxygen (O2) diffuses from the shoots to aerate the roots. Less well understood is the extent to which aerenchyma permits venting of respiratory carbon dioxide (CO2) in the opposite direction. Large, potentially toxic concentrations of …
