Highlights of this new edition include:

• The basics of root research and their evolution and role in the global context of soil development and atmosphere composition
• New understandings about roots gained in the post-genomic era, for example, how the development of roots became possible, and the genetic basis required for this to occur
• The mechanisms that determine root structure, with chapters on cellular patterning, lateral root and vascular development, the molecular basis of adventitious roots, and other topics
• Plant hormone action and signaling pathways that control root development, including new chapters on strigolactones and brassinosteroids
• Soil resource acquisition from agricultural and ecological perspectives
• Root response to stress, with chapters that address the impact of the genomic revolution on this topic
• Root-rhizosphere interactions, from beneficial microorganisms to detrimental nematodes
• Modern research techniques for the field and the lab

Each chapter not only presents a clear summation of the topic under discussion, but also includes a vision of what is to be expected in the years to come. The wide coverage of themes in this volume continues the tradition that makes this work recognized as a fundamental source of information for root scientists at all levels.