Real-time whole-plant imaging of 11C translocation using positron-emitting tracer imaging system

Whole-plant imaging for studying the complete carbon kinetics involved in photosynthesis and subsequent photoassimilate translocation and unloading was achieved using a positron-emitting tracer imaging system (PETIS) in combination with 11CO2 gas tracer. In an experiment with a soybean (Glycine max cultivar Jack) plant, it was confirmed that the dynamic PETIS image data obtained followed the conservation law for total carbon. Thus, the proposed PETIS technique is a feasible noninvasive and quantitative solution to study the carbon dynamics over an entire plant in environmental and agricultural studies.