Win/MacRhizo, an advanced analysis system for the scientific study of roots
    		 For Root Morphology
    And Architecture Measurement


    The most integrated and easy to use root measurement system
    WinRHIZO is an image analysis system specifically designed for root measurement in different forms. It can do morphological (length, area, volume...), topological, architectural and color analyses. It is comprised of a computer program and image acquisition components that are adapted to meet your needs and budget.
    THERE ARE TWO FAMILIES OF WinRHIZO SYSTEMS
    WinRHIZO for analysis of washed roots.
    This system is described below
    WinRHIZO Tron for analysis of roots in soil
    or Mini-Rhizotrons.
    washed root analysis and measurement
    		 minirhizotron analysis
    The WinRHIZO Basic, Reg or Pro system
    for washed root measurement
    The WinRHIZO Basic, Reg or Pro program does automatic root morphology analysis and more. It runs on standard desktop or portable computers (for more details, see Recommended computer configuration). Computers are not included in our systems, but can be added on request. It is best however to buy them locally to get the lowest price and a more personalized service.
    		root measurement
    • WinRHIZO displays the analysis over the image. The color used to draw the root skeleton indicates into which diameter class the part of the root has been classified. The same color is used for drawing the root distribution graphic above the image.
    • The root distribution graphic displays the root length, area, volume or number of tips as a function of root diameter or color). The number and the width of the classes are user-definable and can be changed at any time.
    • Measurement data of the sample under analysis is summarized on screen and is available in detail in data files.
    • The measured root diameter at a specific place is displayed when you click it in the image.
    • WinRHIZO is extremely interactive and easy to use. Most commands are done with mouse clicks.
    • Images can be viewed at different magnifications. You can zoom in to view more details or zoom out to get a global view.
    With one mouse click you can digitize and analyse roots!
    Here are the basic steps:
    1. ROOT POSITIONING
    Simply place the roots directly on the scanner glass or in Regent’s water-proof trays (illustrated in image acquisition components page). Root positioning is easy and fast with Regent’s positioning system for optical scanners. Roots can overlap and do not need to be randomly distributed (as some measurement systems require).

    2. ACQUIRE THE IMAGE
    Click the scanner icon to digitize the roots and wait a few seconds for the scan to be completed and the image to appear on screen. There is no need to use another program to digitize the images,     WinRHIZO controls the scanner (or a digital camera) directly. It is TWAIN compatible, meaning that it can get images from many scanners or cameras. It can also analyse images stored in TIFF or JPEG files.

    3. ANALYSE THE ROOTS
    A few seconds later, the analysis is complete and roots found by     WinRHIZO are identified by coloured lines in the image. The colours used for drawing the roots are coded according to their diameter.

    Root length and diameter are measured with REGENT’s unique method and with an indirect statistical method (Tennant). With Regent’s method, measurements are made continuously at each point along the root. Root overlap, forks and tips are taken into account to provide accurate measurements of length and area. Image edition is also available to override decisions made by the system.

    4. SAVE THE MEASUREMENT DATA
    The last step of the analysis is data saving.     WinRHIZO knows when data are ready to be saved and does this automatically. Data files are in ASCII (text) format easily readable by spreadsheet style programs like Microsoft Excel. Images can also be saved in files for later validations, analyses or for visualization in other programs (like word processors).

    To learn more about WinRHIZO click the following links or you can download our WinRHIZO brochure (1.3 MB).

    WinRHIZO

    NEXT--> WinRHIZO program for washed root analysis is available in three versions. Click to learn about the measurements that each version can perform.

    WinRHIZO program features.

    WinRHIZO design philosophy and the alternatives.

    WinRHIZO image acquisition components.
    What customers say about Regent Instruments and its product


    Measurements | Features | Design philosophy | Image acquisition |

    Systems specifications | WinRHIZO Most recent version |

    Mini-rhizotron measurement     | XLRhizo | References


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    WinRHIZO and MacRHIZO are registered trademarks.
    Copyright (c) 1997-2008 by Regent Instruments Inc. for entire contents.
    All rights reserved.
    www.regentinstruments.com

    Last Revision: January 23, 2008