What information do young, laboratory-grown root systems provide about mature, field-grown root systems?

Abstract

<p>Plant root systems are crucial for sustainable agriculture, as their architecture determines the efficiency of water and nutrient uptake by the plant. To date, it is not clear how root architecture characteristics determined in the laboratory relate to root characteristics in the field. In this study, we want to investigate the extent to which root architectural traits and root measures of young plants in the laboratory and mature plants in the field correlate when experimental conditions are the same. Furthermore, we want to evaluate whether the effects of different plant genotypes and soil types on root system development are similar in the laboratory and in the field.</p> <p>Two maize genotypes, a wild type and a root hair defective mutant, were grown in loam and sand in a soil column experiment in the laboratory and in a plot experiment in the field. In the laboratory, root architecture parameters were derived from the analysis of X-ray CT images of the root systems. In the field, root architecture parameters were derived from the analysis of root window images, crown root counts and soil core data. Root architecture parameter sets obtained from laboratory and field measurements were compared. Using the RSA model CPlantBox, laboratory and field parameter sets were used to simulate root systems and calculate root measures, i.e. total root length, total root volume, convex hull volume, which could then be compared.</p> <p>This study shall contribute to a better understanding of root trait changes during plant development. In addition, this study will shed light on the importance of equal experimental conditions to infer root systems from laboratory experiments to root systems in the field. Furthermore, we aim to investigate the importance of RSA models for extrapolating from young, laboratory-grown root systems to mature, field-grown root systems.</p>