Data for: A rapid, quantitative, and affordable fluorometric method to determine the viability of roots with potential application in fungal hyphae.

The aim of the study was to develop a rapid, reliable, and quantitative method to determine the viability of plant root samples using an area-scan plate reader. We modified existing fluorescein diacetate (FDA) methods, and optimized incubation time and root volume using pea roots (Pisum sativum) of known viability. We then compared our method to FDA microscopy and triphenyl tetrazolium chloride (TTC) reduction using pea roots and field-collected grass, forb, and tree roots. Finally, we used fungal hyphae to assess the suitability of our method to broader applications.