ISRR Lecture and root-rhizosphere workshop shines light into the dark world of roots and soil

Doris Vetterlein receiving her medal virtual in Halle in Germany

"The meeting was virtual for the first time and this format opened up the event to a larger, international, audience of 170 interested registrants, including scientists from 16 countries from the USA, China, Australia and across Europe."

After two postponements due to COVID-19, the long awaited 2020 ISRR Dundee Root Medal and Root-Rhizosphere Interactions Workshop took place on the 5th May 2021. This is an annual event for scientists interested in root research and the plant/soil interface.

Hosted by the James Hutton Institute, the meeting was virtual for the first time and this format opened up the event to a larger, international, audience of 170 interested registrants, including scientists from 16 countries from the USA, China, Australia and across Europe.

The workshop included a variety of engaging talks and posters from the Hutton and Maxwell institutes, SRUC and universities of Dundee, Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Strathclyde, Wageningen and Penn State covering a variety of root related topics including soil physics and mechanics, plant and microbial genetics, soil management and nutrient cycling in soils.

The Dundee Medal is presented annually to a scientist who has made an outstanding contribution in the field of root research. This award is a legacy funded by proceeds from the International Society of Root Research Conference (ISRR) which was held in Dundee in 2012 and hosted by the Institute.

The 6th recipient of the Dundee Medal for Root Research was Professor Doris Vetterlein of the UFZ Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research in Halle, Germany. Over the last 30 years Prof. Vetterlein has worked across all disciplines of rhizosphere research on topics related to soil chemistry as well as soil physics and modelling, and more recently soil biology. Her medal lecture was titled “Rhizosphere research - Can we solve the dilemma between detailed knowledge and system understanding?” and focused on the issues of scaling up the various branches of root research from the laboratory to the field and the landscape.

Tim George, Chair of the Dundee Medal for Root Research Organising Committee, said: "We have received positive feedback from registrants who complimented us on the content and format of the meeting and we would like to say a special thanks to Malcolm Collie for his invaluable IT support which allowed this to be such a success."

The Dundee Root Medal Organising Committee comprises Tim George and Philip White of the James Hutton Institute, Glyn Bengough and Blair McKenzie of the University of Dundee and Paul Hallett of the University of Aberdeen, who are assisted by Lawrie Brown of the James Hutton Institute. You can watch the event below: