High resolution imaging of plant tissues by NMR

NMR images of living plant tissues were recorded at a 1H frequency of 200 MHz using a high resolution imaging technique that gave an in-plane pixel resolution of 50 μm × 50 μm or better. Images with interpretable contrast were obtained from germinating seeds, the roots of seedlings and the stems of young plants. The expected structural features of these tissues were readily observed including, in Mn2+ loaded tissue, the xylem vessels of maize root sections. Preliminary experiments on H2O-D2O exchange in maize roots, on the uptake of Mn2+ by maize roots and on the germination of seeds in situ demonstrate that the non-invasive method of NMR mini-imaging has the potential to complement existing techniques for physiological investigations in plant tissues.