Plant roots are economically very relevant since the distribution pattern of the root system in the soil determines the zone of water and nutrient availability to plants and differences in root and root development is related to crop yields and abilities to escape drought and soil-borne diseases.
The KeyTrack system allows for efficient execution of root research in a high throughput manner and is a robust phenotyping platform in a greenhouse setup. The phenotyping is based on imaging technology and uses the potential of a track that moves all plants fully automated through the greenhouse compartment and scanning areas. The plants grow in individual containers and are photographed at pre-set points in time and from different angles.
The research presented encompasses the creation of an automated root phenotyping protocol and image analysis pipeline. The material used for this research is the tomato LA716 S. pennellii introgression line library created by prof. Dani Zamir. The research described merges the phenotypic data generated with genotypic knowledge, to feed lead discovery and root development in tomato.

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