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Quantitative analysis of root system architecture and fresh weight biomass traits highlight phenotypic variation in radish (Raphanus sativus L.) germplasm
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  • Published: 09 February 2026

Quantitative analysis of root system architecture and fresh weight biomass traits highlight phenotypic variation in radish (Raphanus sativus L.) germplasm

  • Kingsley Ochar  ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-9800-02171,2 na1,
  • Dae-Won Ki1,
  • Suyun Moon1,
  • Matilda Ntowaa Bissah  ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-7709-33272 &
  • …
  • Seong-Hoon Kim1 na1 

Scientific Reports , Article number:  (2026) Cite this article

We are providing an unedited version of this manuscript to give early access to its findings. Before final publication, the manuscript will undergo further editing. Please note there may be errors present which affect the content, and all legal disclaimers apply.

Subjects

  • Ecology
  • Plant sciences

Abstract

Radish exhibits remarkable diversity in root morphology and architecture, which are crucial traits for nutrient and water uptake, stress adaptation and marketability. This study assessed root variability in 23 radish accessions, including a wild relative, landraces, and cultivars. Plants were grown in controlled greenhouse, and 2D images of roots acquired, using a high-resolution flatbed scanner fitted with a transparent acrylic tray (30 cm × 20 cm). Root analysis was performed using the WinRHIZO Pro software (Regent Instruments Inc., Quebec, Canada). Results of the analysis of variance revealed significant genotype variation (p < 0.01) for nearly all traits, except average length of link. Turkish accessions recorded the longest average root length and greater root branching, whereas Chinese and Korean accessions exhibited significantly larger root diameters and higher root biomass-related trait values. Landraces developed the most extensive root systems, wild relatives showed high trait variability, and cultivars were more uniform in root volume and diameter. Correlation analysis revealed strong positive associations (p < 0.01) among root length, surface area, projected area, and branching, suggesting a coordinated system for soil exploration. Principal component analysis identified five functional clusters, explaining 93.485% of total variation. This study revealed the presence of a wide range of variation in radish root traits and provides a foundation for trait selection, targeting resource-use efficiency, and market needs.

Data availability

The data sets supporting the results of this article are included within the article and its supplementary files.

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Funding

This research was carried out with the support of the “Research Program for Agricultural Science and Technology Development (Project NO. PJ01425501/RS-2019-RD007776), National Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Rural Development Administration (RDA), Republic of Korea.

Author information

Author notes

  1. Kingsley Ochar and Seong-Hoon Kim are contributedequally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Agrobiodiversity Center, Rural Development Administration, National Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Jeonju, 54874, Republic of Korea

    Kingsley Ochar, Dae-Won Ki, Suyun Moon & Seong-Hoon Kim

  2. Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Plant Genetic Resources Research Institute, P.O. Box 7, Bunso, Ghana

    Kingsley Ochar & Matilda Ntowaa Bissah

Authors
  1. Kingsley Ochar
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  2. Dae-Won Ki
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Contributions

K.O. : Conceptualization, Methodology, Data analysis, writing – original draft, Writing–review and editing. D.-W.K.: Methodology, Writing –review and editing. S.M .: Methodology, Writing –review and editing. M. N.B. : Methodology, Writing –review and editing. S-H.K.: Conceptualization, Methodology, investigation, Writing – review and editing, supervision, Funding acquisition.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Seong-Hoon Kim.

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Ochar, K., Ki, DW., Moon, S. et al. Quantitative analysis of root system architecture and fresh weight biomass traits highlight phenotypic variation in radish (Raphanus sativus L.) germplasm. Sci Rep (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-39212-0

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  • Received: 18 November 2025

  • Accepted: 03 February 2026

  • Published: 09 February 2026

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-39212-0

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Keywords

  • Accession
  • Fresh weight biomass
  • Radish
  • Germplasm
  • Root system architecture
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