Nature’s underground engineers: how plant roots could save harvests from drought

By James Le Houx, Emerging Leader Fellow, Science and Technology Facilities Council
Siul Ruiz, Lecturer in Bioengineering and Image Based Modelling, University of Southampton

Ever wondered how a delicate plant root can push its way through hard ground? It’s a feat of engineering happening beneath our feet.

Understanding this process is more important than ever as we face escalating droughts and grapple with compacted farmland that threatens our food security. This compaction, often caused by the weight of heavy farm machinery, makes it much harder for roots…

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