Are high-throughput root phenotyping platforms suitable for informing root system architecture models with genotype-specific parameters? An evaluation based on the root model ArchiSimple and a small panel of wheat cultivars.

This article evaluates the capacity of high-throughput root phenotyping (HTRP) platforms to consistently estimate root system architecture (RSA) traits across different controlled-environment setups using six key parameters of the ArchiSimple RSA model. Fourteen bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) genotypes were grown in two distinct HTRP platforms—one aeroponic and one using transparent tubes—and compared with a conventional destructive sampling method in soil columns. The study found significant effects of experimental setup on all parameters, with no significant correlations of genotype rankings across platforms, likely due to differences in environmental conditions such as light, temperature, and growth medium, as well as genotype × environment interactions. While some RSA parameters changed with developmental stage, a subset showed conserved genotype rankings, suggesting early-stage measurements could partially predict mature root traits. The findings highlight challenges in using HTRP platforms to capture genotype-specific RSA parameters reliably and emphasize the need to consider environmental and developmental factors when interpreting root phenomics data for genetic analyses and modeling.