Establishment of the International Society of Root Research
Personal recollections of Monika Sobotik, August 2024
The history of plant root research in Austria is highly related to the foundation of the private “Pflanzensoziologisches Beratungsinstitut” at Klagenfurt in 1953 by Lore Kutschera. In 1960, the first volume of the “Wurzelatlas Ackerunkräuter und Kulturpflanzen” was published. In 1961, Prof. Dr L. Kutschera was hired to establish the botany and plant sociology department at the Bundesanstalt für Alpenländische Landwirtschaft (BAL) in Irdning, Gumpenstein; Lore worked there until 1982. In parallel to her affiliation at BAL she maintained and managed her institute in Klagenfurt. In 1976, the “Pflanzensoziologisches Beratungsinstitut” was renamed as the Plant Sociological Institute and the institute moved to more appropriate accommodation at Kempfstraße 12, Klagenfurt, with the support of Mayor Guggenberger. Volumes 2 – 7 of the book series “Wurzelatlas” were completed there. Even after her retirement at BAL 1982, she continued to work on the completion of the “Wurzelatlanten” in Klagenfurt until she died in 2008.
Due to this background and her international contacts, Lore Kutschera initiated a symposium titled "Root Ecology and its Practical Application, a Contribution to the Whole Plant," which took place from September 27th to October 2nd, 1982, at the Bundesanstalt für Alpenländische Landwirtschaft (BAL) in Irdning, Austria.
The symposium drew significant inspiration from the second volume of the “Wurzelatlas mitteleuropäischer Grünlandpflanzen, Band 1: Monocotyledoneae,” authored by L. Kutschera and E. Lichtenegger, which was published in the spring of 1982. The practical relevance and benefits for agriculture of the symposium were the reasons for the generous financial support provided by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. Prof. Dr Lore Kutschera, head of the Institute of Botany and Plant Sociology of BAL was mainly responsible for the organization. Valuable assistance was provided by Prof. Dr Böhm from Göttingen, who had written a book of methodology for root research (Methods of studying root systems. – Ecological Studies 33, 1979).
Participants from eight nations from all over the world joined the symposium. Presentations dealt with systematics of subterranean plant organs, methodology of root research, impact of environmental conditions on root growth and root-shoot-interactions as well as the applicability of root research to agriculture, forestry, water regime studies and landscape protection.
During the field trip, soil and root profiles were visited at “Ennstal”, Styria, along the “Großglockner” High Alpine Road and in the central basin of Carinthia, “Klagenfurter Becken”. The field trip was organized by Prof. Dr E. Lichtenegger and included root excavations at 14 different sites. Various kinds of rooting systems of similar species growing at colline and alpine altitudinal levels were observed. Participants were particularly surprised by the bulk and depth of roots and rhizomes of a reed excavated in the Ennstal. One Australian attendee commented that for that reason alone it was worth coming.
Figure 1: Participants of the excursion forming part of the symposium ‘Root ecology and its practical application: a contribution to the whole plant’
Before the concluding discussion of the symposium, participants were welcomed by Mayor Mag. Leopold Guggenberger at the city hall of Klagenfurt.
During the final discussion of the symposium, the International Society of Root Research (ISRR) was founded. Prof. David Sen, India, recommended the name of the Society and stressed the need for such a Society. It was agreed that the organization of symposia, to enable high level exchange of information between scientists of different nations and from different climatic regions, should be one of the key activities of the new Society. Prof. Dr Hans Persson (Uppsala, Sweden) was elected as the first President of the Society. He held this position until 2009 and organized and co-organized six symposia in his time of office.
Figure 2: The inaugural meeting of the ISRR (2nd October 1982). In the bottom front is Prof. Dr Hans Persson.
The Society was established as a non-profit and non-governmental organization of scientists interested in plant root research representing many disciplines and nationalities. Its primary goal was, and still is, to increase the communication, cooperation and research on root, rhizosphere and related topics as a contribution to the investigation of the whole plant (Prof. Dr Hans Persson Newsletter 4, October 1990).
The 2nd ISRR Symposium ‘Plant Roots and their environment’ (21st – 26th August 1988) was held in Uppsala, Sweden, organized by Prof. Dr Hans Persson and Prof. B.L. McMichael. During a field visit, several excavated plants were observed.
The 3rd ISRR Symposium ‘Root Ecology and its Practical Application’ (2nd – 6th September 1991) was held, again, in Austria, but this time in Vienna at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (Universität für Bodenkultur Wien, BOKU). It was jointly organized by Prof. Dr Lore Kutschera, Prof. Dr Erich Hübl, Prof. Dr Hans Persson and Prof. Dr E. Lichtenegger. A field trip was organized to the Pannonian Plain and again to the mountain region of Großglockner. At all sites excavated plants were presented.
The 4th ISRR Symposium ‘Plant root systems and natural vegetation’ (5th – 11th September 1991) was held at Almaty, Kazakhstan was organized by Prof. Dr I. Baitulin, Almaty, Prof. Dr N. Obroutscheva, Moscow and Prof. Hans Persson. Prof. Baitulin organized a very interesting excursion to different deserts as well as to a mountain region. Several excavated plants were shown at each location.
The 5th ISRR Symposium ‘Root Demographics and their Efficiencies in Sustainable Agriculture, Grasslands and Forest Ecosystems’ (14th– 18th July 1996) was held in Clemson, North Carolina, USA. The symposium was jointly organized by Prof. Dr James Box, Chairman, USA, Prof. Dr Bobbie McMichael, USA, Prof. Dr Hans Persson, Sweden, Prof. Dr A. Smucker, USA, Prof. Dr Kristina Vogt, USA and Prof. Dr V. Quissenberry, USA. The excursion included examples of rhizotron observations of different agricultural plants.
The 6th ISRR Symposium ‘Roots: the dynamic interface between plants and the earth’ (11th – 15th November 2001) was held in Nagoya, Japan organized by the Japanese Society of Root Research and the international Society of Root research (ISRR), The chair of the organizing committee was Prof. S. Morita, University of Tokyo.
For the 7th ISRR Symposium Prof. Kutschera suggested that the Society meet again in Europe. As consequence of cooperation between the Department of Water Atmosphere and Environment and more specifically with the Institute of Hydraulics and Rural Water Management and the “Pflanzensoziologisches Institut” in Klagenfurt, Prof. W. Loiskandl was invited to organize the 7th symposium with his co-workers at BOKU. The planning was initiated with Prof. Kutschera, but she passed away a year before the conference.
The 7th ISRR symposium ‘Root Research and Applications’ (2nd – 4th September 2009) was held in memoriam of Prof. Dr Lore Kutschera (1917 - 2008). The Chairperson of the symposium was Prof. Dr Willibald Loiskandl and the Vice Chairperson was Prof. Dr Hans Persson. Dr. Margarita Himmelbauer was the coordinator. An excursion to view excavated plants at a location in the dry lowlands of “Eichkogel” near Vienna, and to the mountains at the area of “Schneeberg”, was organized.
At the conclusion of the 7th Symposium, a general assembly of the Society took place. Prof. Dr. H. Persson proposed Prof. Dr. Peter J. Gregory as the new President of the ISRR. The Assembly of the Society agreed to elect Prof. Gregory as President of the ISRR. Prof. Dr. Hans Persson was acknowledged for his efforts and service to the ISRR from 1982 to 2009.
The Austrian Society of Root Research (ASRR) was founded in 2010 during the seventh ISRR symposium, with Prof. Dr. Willibald Loiskandl elected as chairman. The aim of the society is to contribute to the research of plant morphology, anatomy and ecology as well as of plant communities by studying the roots in relation to soil, agricultural practice and environmental conditions. ASRR aims to develop a network of departments and workgroups (task forces) of basic and applied research to enhance the cooperation between institutions and people working in root research. Conferences with excursions are held biennially and, in the years between, scientific excursions are arranged including root excavations.
Prof. Dr. Gregory as new President invited the ISRR for its 8th Symposium to Dundee for ‘Roots to the Future’ (26th – 29th June 2012).
In September 2017, Prof. Dr. Peter Gregory extended his congratulations at the symposium of the Austrian Society for Root Research, held in honor of the 100th birthday of Prof. Dr. Lore Kutschera.
Throughout my engagement with ISRR, I have appreciated that a particular advantage of the ISRR is that symposia are held in very different countries so that different environmental and climatic conditions can be studied and compared.