Plant height, tiller numbers, and leaf number on the main axis were measured manually. Plant height was measured using the metric yard rule. The total leaf area was measured using the LI-3100 leaf-area meter (LI-COR, Inc., USA) 33 DAP or 21 DAS.
Individual plant’s roots and shoots were separated. The soil adhered to the roots and was washed thoroughly with a mild-speed water stream. Harvested roots were scanned using an Epson Expression 11000XL scanner at a resolution of 800 dots per inch, and the digital images were analyzed using WinRHIZO Pro 2009C software (Regent Instruments, Québec, Canada). Information extracted from the WinRHIZO software was used to determine the UV-B effect on root traits such as the longest root length, total root length, root surface area, root volume, average root diameter, root tips, root forks, and root crossings. Finally, we estimated the whole plant’s dry weight (leaf +stem +root) across treatments.
Individual plant’s roots and shoots were separated. The soil adhered to the roots and was washed thoroughly with a mild-speed water stream. Harvested roots were scanned using an Epson Expression 11000XL scanner at a resolution of 800 dots per inch, and the digital images were analyzed using WinRHIZO Pro 2009C software (Regent Instruments, Québec, Canada). Information extracted from the WinRHIZO software was used to determine the UV-B effect on root traits such as the longest root length, total root length, root surface area, root volume, average root diameter, root tips, root forks, and root crossings. Finally, we estimated the whole plant’s dry weight (leaf +stem +root) across treatments.