The result is a reduction in the use of chemical fertilizers via the implementation of more environmentally-friendly and sustainable farming practices. Plant roots also keep the soil in place, reduce water leaching and soil erosion and are key for soil phytoremediation. The latter takes advantage of the ability of some plants to extract heavy metals or other toxic compounds with their roots from contaminated soils, and to accumulate and store these in aboveground organs that can be easily harvested and disposed of
Breeding efforts that select for and modify specific root traits are limited despite the importance of the root systems for enhancing the acquisition of water and nutrients [24]. Genetic gains in forage and grain production are important targets for plant breeding programs and these gains could be enhanced by understanding the root traits that contribute to improved plant performance. The challenge is to develop systems for non-destructive root phenotyping to accurately reflect and capture the RSA. These methods should allow continuous monitoring of root development and its response to different growing conditions as well as relatively high-throughput systems to efficiently evaluate a large number of genotypes as part of the breeding program. The goal of this review is to provide an overview of root phenotyping strategies that are used in the laboratory, greenhouse or the field, and range from simple approaches requiring minimal infrastructure to those that involve the use of advanced technologies, all of which can serve as a resource for plant breeders, geneticists and other researchers interested in understanding the genetic factors affecting RSA traits of value for practical crop improvement