A nondestructive method for estimating the root mass of young peach trees after root pruning using electrical capacitance measurements

Abstract

The objective of this study was to estimate the root mass of young ornamental peach seedlings using nondestructive measurements of electrical capacitance (EC). We measured the root mass of peach seedlings to determine the relationship between EC and the root mass. Ornamental peach seedlings grown the field in Andosol showed good linear correlations between EC and root dry mass (R²=0.896), and EC and fresh mass (R²=0.897). Similar correlations (R²=0.806 for dry mass) were observed in an experiment with Japanese pear rootstocks. A study of the root mass and the root EC before and after root pruning treatment showed that this technique can detect the reduction in root mass in young peach trees (R²=0.669). The study results also indicate that the EC method may be a feasible, repeatable, and useful nondestructive means of estimating the root mass (fresh or dry) of peach trees.