CRootBox: a structural – functional modeling framework for root systems (Ann Bot)

Root architecture is important to understand the response of plants during biotic and abiotic stress conditions. Root growth is mostly under soil, which deprives us of the ability to observe its development and growth pattern. In this paper, Schnepf et al. present CRootBox, a framework developed based on C++ and Python, for root architecture analysis. Users may include CRootBox in their Python code. The authors have tested the efficiency of this framework for individual root growth systems, root growth in containers and field simulated conditions, root growth in static solid conditions, and water uptake by root from soil. This framework will help to decipher unknown facts about root architecture in the future. (Summary by Arif Ashraf) Annals of Botany 10.1093/aob/mcx221