"Twenty years have passed since I wrote the first edition of this book, and I am still as fascinated by plant roots as I was then. I thought the preparation of this edition would just require some updating of the text and figures, but the reality is that much has changed and many of the chapters have been almost completely rewritten. Advances in genomics, phenomics, other -omics technologies, computer modelling and the study of 'model plants' such as Arabidopsis thaliana and rice have led to major advances in understanding of how roots grow and function"-- Provided by publisher.