A high quality low-cost digital microscope minirhizotron system

Abstract: An easily reproducible system is presented for minirhizotron image acquisition based on a digital microscope and entirely built with low-cost components. The system weighs 2.28kg, is connected to a portable computer through USB, and allows collection and storage of high-quality digital images without other components or power sources. Settings at 25× magnification provide pixel sizes of 25 and 12μm respectively with a medium pixel density microscope (640×480pixel), and a high pixel density microscope (1280×1024pixel). This kind of system coupled with recent developments of robotics and automatic image analysis for minirhizotron frames allows to envisage fast, low-labour and low-cost root investigation methods with a high degree of automation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]