This dataset is contains the validation data (raw images and binary masks generated by hand) for the automated minirhizotrons in our paper 'HIGH FREQUENCY ROOT DYNAMICS: SAMPLING AND INTERPRETATION USING REPLICATE ROBOTIC MINIRHIZOTRONS' published in Journal of Experimental Botany. https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/erac427 The dataset consists of one readme, four .7z files and one python script all contained in one .7z file. The files are described in the readme file. Some of these data were collected and all processed as part of the Marie Sklodowska-Curie project 748893 'MrPARTS' awarded to Richard Nair. We also acknowledge the generous support of Markus Reichstein at MPI-BGC Jena including to the MaNiP project through the Max Planck research prize 2013