Grape Industry Benefits from ALS Research X-ray tomography

Grape Industry Benefits from ALS Research
X-ray tomography gives growers insight into sustainable water use strategies.
How do grapevine species survive drought damage?
High-resolution x-ray computed tomography at ALS
Beamline 8.3.2 provides the first in vivo visualization
Xylem vessels, tubes experience drought-induced breakage
Some plants initiate breakage repair via droplet formation
Further research will investigate how drought-tolerant
species resist and repair breakage
Grape-growing industry supports, benefits from this research
Primary researcher, ALS user Andrew McElrone, receives
research grants from Specialty Crops Research Initiative, the
American Vineyard Foundation, and more
Research partnerships include Gallo, Sun-Maid, Welchs,
Chateau St. Michelle, and J. Lohr
Goal is to apply these findings to water usage strategies in
grape-growing fields, where future water supply is uncertain.
In vivo high-resolution x-ray computed tomography (HRCT) sections of a representative grapevine stem undergoing vessel refilling.
Time-lapse longitudinal sections (A) showing the refilling of three adjacent vessels and the presence of water droplets on the inner
vessel walls (hours indicated in each section). Bar = 200 )m. Trans-longitudinal section with vessel walls and droplets rendered in 3D (B).
Trans-longitudinal section showing droplet details in four vessels at different stages of refilling (C), and the corresponding 3D volume
rendering (D). Vessel on the far left shows evidence of failed refilling. Bars = 100 )m.

C.R. Brodersen et al., Plant Physiology, 154 1088 (2010)
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