Analysis of root morphology in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) seedlings cultivated with ammonium or nitrate nitrogen using fractal dimension and lacunarity

The application of D and Lf made it possible to identify differences in root system development caused by the chemical forms of applied nitrogen that could not be detected through root length or root number alone. The findings further suggest that the effects of distinct nitrogen forms on root development first emerge in the spatial distribution of roots, then in root system complexity, and ultimately in total root length and lateral root number.