Visualization of in-situ chemical flow through sand using neutron radiography

Chemical movement through soil is an important process in agriculture and ecology. Observing the spatial and temporal dynamics of these processes using conventional chemical ecology methods requires techniques that are destructive and/or lack resolution. Neutron radiography has the capability to allow chemical motion through sand/soil to be tracked with high spatial and temporal resolution, and we show that it allows for the motion of hydrophobic and hydrophilic chemicals to be distinguished. This technique can have an important impact on introducing neutron radiography to a wider community and into our understanding of chemical communication dynamics between plants and movement of applied chemicals in agricultural soils.