Welcome to the RootEd MSCA Doctoral Network 

Our Project

Root systems make up approximately one half of most plants and perform several key functions, for example taking up sufficient water and nutrients and anchoring the plant into the ground to keep it upright. Yet, root systems are often forgotten about in crop breeding programmes and our knowledge about how they grow and function is limited, as soil is opaque, so they are hidden from view. A well branched root system that effectively explores the soil and optimises the allocation of carbon into producing roots without sacrificing the aboveground productivity is required by the plant and desired by food producers.

A deeper understanding of the interactions between soils and plant roots may support sustainable agriculture by increasing crop yields and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The EU-funded RootEd project will investigate how plant roots interact with their environment from a physiological and phenotypic perspective. The use of AI and deep learning will speed up image analysis and processing, resulting in greater data generation.

RootEd consolidates the complimentary expertise of an international, interdisciplinary, multisectoral team to train a new generation of strong, resilient, flexible and creative scientists capable of innovating the fields of plant and soil sciences to actively contribute to the EU's Green Deal and a Soil Deal for Europe.