Order Lateral Roots Research Articles

Comparative transcriptome analysis on wild-simulated ginseng of different age revealed possible mechanism of ginsenoside accumulation

Panax ginseng is one of the most famous pharmaceutical plants in Asia. Ginseng plants grown in mountain have longer longevity which ensures higher accumulation of ginsenoside components than those grown in farms. However, wild-simulated ginseng over certain age cannot be easily distinguished in morphology. To identify transcriptomic mechanism of ginsenoside accumulation in older wild-simulated ginseng without large phenotype change, we performed comparative transcriptome analysis for leaf, shoot, and root tissues of 7-yr-old and 13yr-old wild-simulated ginseng. Of 559 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in comparison between 7-yr-old and 13yr-old wild-simulated ginseng, 280 leaf-, 103 shoot-, and 164 root-mainly expressing genes were found to be changed in transcript level according to age. Functional analysis revealed that pentose-phosphate shunt and abscisic acid responsive genes were up-regulated in leaf tissues of 7-yr-old ginseng while defense responsive genes were up-regulated in root tissues of 13-yr-old ginseng. Quantitative real-time PCR revealed that jasmonic acid responsive genes, ERDL6, and some UGTs were up-regulated in 13-yr-old ginseng in higher order lateral root tissues. These data suggest that bacterial stimulation in mountain region can enhance the expression of several genes which might support minor ginsenoside biosynthesis.

Co-fertilization of Sulfur and Struvite-Phosphorus in a Slow-Release Fertilizer Improves Soybean Cultivation.

In face of the alarming world population growth predictions and its threat to food security, the development of sustainable fertilizer alternatives is urgent. Moreover, fertilizer performance should be assessed not only in terms of yield but also in root system development, as it impacts soil fertility and crop productivity. Fertilizers containing a polysulfide matrix (PS) with dispersed struvite (St) were studied for S and P nutrition due to their controlled-release behavior. Soybean cultivation in a closed system with St/PS composites provided superior biomass compared to a reference of triple superphosphate (TSP) with ammonium sulfate (AS), with up to 3 and 10 times higher mass of shoots and roots, respectively. Root system architectural changes may explain these results, with a higher proliferation of second order lateral roots in response to struvite ongoing P delivery. The total root length was between 1,942 and 4,291 cm for plants under St/PS composites and only 982 cm with TSP/AS. While phosphorus uptake efficiency was similar in all fertilized treatments (11–14%), St/PS achieved a 22% sulfur uptake efficiency against only 8% from TSP/AS. Overall, the composites showed great potential as efficient slow-release fertilizers for enhanced soybean productivity.

Root Growth and Architecture of Wheat and Brachypodium Vary in Response to Algal Fertilizer in Soil and Solution

Alternative, recycled sources for mined phosphorus (P) fertilizers are needed to sustain future crop growth. Quantification of phenotypic adaptations and performance of plants with a recycled nutrient source is required to identify breeding targets and agronomy practices for new fertilization strategies. In this study, we tested the phenotypic responses of wheat (Triticum aestivum) and its genetic model, Brachypodium (Brachypodium distachyon), to dried algal biomass (with algae or high or low mineral P) under three growing conditions (fabricated ecosystems (EcoFABs), hydroponics, and sand). For both species, algal-grown plants had similar shoot biomass to mineral-grown plants, taking up more P than the low mineral P plants. Root phenotypes however were strongly influenced by nutrient form, especially in soilless conditions. Algae promoted the development of shorter and thicker roots, notably first and second order lateral roots. Root hairs were 21% shorter in Brachypodium, but 24% longer in wheat with algae compared to mineral high P. Our results are encouraging to new recycled fertilization strategies, showing algae is a nutrient source to wheat and Brachypodium. Variation in root phenotypes showed algal biomass is sensed by roots and is taken up at a higher amount per root length than mineral P. These phenotypes can be selected and further adapted in phenotype-based breeding for future renewal agriculture systems.

Comparing the effects of four propagation methods on hybrid chestnut seedling quality

Extensive resources have been used to breed hybrid chestnuts for reintroduction into the historical range of the American chestnut (Castanea dentata). Improving seedling quality is an efficacious method to improving restoration outcomes and nursery propagation methods can be selected to improve seedling quality, increasing the likelihood of survival. Four production methods (bed grown, air prune beds, container grown, and a multi-container method) and three media types (field soil, peat-perlite-vermiculite mix, and pine bark-rice hulls-sand mix) were compared across four measures of seedling quality (height, root collar diameter, root volume, and number of first order lateral roots) to examine their effects on seedling quality. Additional analyzes of survival and cost per seedling were conducted as well. Air prune beds performed comparably in both seedling quality and cost to standard bed grown and container grown seedlings with potential advantages over these two methods. Multi-container method seedlings underperformed compared to bed grown and container grown seedlings. A decision tree was produced to assist nurseries in selecting a propagation method most appropriate to their nursery, intended restoration site, and constraints.

Genetic Dissection of Seedling Root System Architectural Traits in a Diverse Panel of Hexaploid Wheat through Multi-Locus Genome-Wide Association Mapping for Improving Drought Tolerance.

Cultivars with efficient root systems play a major role in enhancing resource use efficiency, particularly water absorption, and thus in drought tolerance. In this study, a diverse wheat association panel of 136 wheat accessions including mini core subset was genotyped using Axiom 35k Breeders’ Array to identify genomic regions associated with seedling stage root architecture and shoot traits using multi-locus genome-wide association studies (ML-GWAS). The association panel revealed a wide variation of 1.5- to 50-fold and were grouped into six clusters based on 15 traits. Six different ML-GWAS models revealed 456 significant quantitative trait nucleotides (QTNs) for various traits with phenotypic variance in the range of 0.12–38.60%. Of these, 87 QTNs were repeatedly detected by two or more models and were considered reliable genomic regions for the respective traits. Among these QTNs, eleven were associated with average diameter and nine each for second order lateral root number (SOLRN), root volume (RV) and root length density (RLD). A total of eleven genomic regions were pleiotropic and each controlled two or three traits. Some important candidate genes such as Formin homology 1, Ubiquitin-like domain superfamily and ATP-dependent 6-phosphofructokinase were identified from the associated genomic regions. The genomic regions/genes identified in this study could potentially be targeted for improving root traits and drought tolerance in wheat.

Understanding the Intricate Web of Phytohormone Signalling in Modulating Root System Architecture.

Root system architecture (RSA) is an important developmental and agronomic trait that is regulated by various physical factors such as nutrients, water, microbes, gravity, and soil compaction as well as hormone-mediated pathways. Phytohormones act as internal mediators between soil and RSA to influence various events of root development, starting from organogenesis to the formation of higher order lateral roots (LRs) through diverse mechanisms. Apart from interaction with the external cues, root development also relies on the complex web of interaction among phytohormones to exhibit synergistic or antagonistic effects to improve crop performance. However, there are considerable gaps in understanding the interaction of these hormonal networks during various aspects of root development. In this review, we elucidate the role of different hormones to modulate a common phenotypic output, such as RSA in Arabidopsis and crop plants, and discuss future perspectives to channel vast information on root development to modulate RSA components.

Mycorrhizal fungi enhance flooding tolerance of peach through inducing proline accumulation and improving root architecture

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF) Glomus mosseae on plant growth, root architecture, and proline metabolism in roots of peach (Prunes persica L.) under non-flooding and flooding conditions. The 12-day flooding dramatically inhibited root colonisation of G. mosseae, but induced a large number of extraradical mycelia. Although the flooding treatment also relatively inhibited growth and root architecture of peach, the mycorrhizal fungal inoculation dramatically increased shoot and root biomass, plant height, stem diameter, number of 1<sup>st</sup>- and 2<sup>nd</sup>-order lateral roots, root total length (mainly 0–1 cm and > 3 cm long), root surface area, and root volume under flooding. The study also revealed distinctly higher proline accumulation in the roots of mycorrhizal plants than non-mycorrhizal plants under both non-flooding and flooding conditions, accompanied by higher Δ<sup>1</sup>-pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthase (P5CS) activity and lower δ-ornithine transaminase and proline dehydrogenase activities. In addition, the PpP5CS1 gene expression was up-regulated by flooding and mycorrhization. This study concluded that mycorrhizal fungi enhanced flooding tolerance of peach through inducing proline accumulation and improving root architecture.

Root Development and Anti-Oxidative Response of Rice Genotypes under Polyethylene Glycol Induced Osmotic Stress

Osmotic stress is a kind of stress which is directly or indirectly related to all other abiotic stresses. Four rice varieties namely Binadhan-11 (with SUB1 gene), BRRI dhan52 (with SUB1 gene), Binadhan-7 and BRRI dhan71 were used to study the variation in root development and anti-oxidative response under osmotic stress conditions. Osmotic stress was induced by applying polyethylene glycol (4% PEG) in hydroponic solution. Treatment was given at the panicle initiation stage and leaf samples were collected at fourteen days after treatment to estimate antioxidant response in terms of ascorbate (APX) and peroxidase (POD) enzymatic activity. Roots were destructively harvested at 16 days after the stress imposition. The tested varieties showed significant differences in antioxidant responses under the stress condition such as high APX and POD in Binadhan-11 and BRRI dhan52. Significant injury at the 4 th leaf position (the youngest leaf was the reference) was observed at 8 and 12 days after the treatment. Number of live leaves, shoot dry weight, density of second order lateral roots, number of phytomer (Pr) and total roots, number of roots at Pr2, main axis diameter at Pr1, main axis length at Pr1 varied significantly among the varieties × treatment combinations. Binadhan-11 and BRRI dhan52 showed comparatively higher osmotic stress tolerance compared to the other two varieties without SUB1 gene, viz., Binadhan-7 and BRRI dhan71. The varieties BRRI dhan52, and Binadhan-11 showed greater capacity to withstand osmotic stress can be further used to develop stress tolerant variety.

Increasing New Root Length Reflects Survival Mechanism of Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Genotypes under PEG-Induced Osmotic Stress

Rice is globally one of the most important cereal crops that faces osmotic stress under any kind of abiotic stresses. An experiment was conducted under controlled condition to study the effects of polyethylene glycol (PEG) induced osmotic stress on root and root hair morphology and associated biochemical traits in four morphologically diverse rice genotypes. Plants were grown hydroponically. Two treatments, 0% (control) and 5% PEG 6000 (w/v), were imposed on 38 days old plants for 17 days’ duration. Main root axis length at first three youngest root bearing phytomers (Pr1-Pr3) was increased in Binadhan-11 but decreased in Binadhan-7 and BRRI dhan 71 under 5% PEG treatment compared to control. This result indicated that Binadhan-11 increased new root length perhaps to explore stress free environment. Length of L-type first order lateral root was also significantly increased by 2.03 fold in Binadhan-11 under 5% PEG treatment compared to control. Density and length of root hairs were increased at first order lateral roots in Binadhan-11 under 5% PEG treatment compared to control treatment those contributed largely to root surface area. Measurements of H2O2 and MDA revealed that Binadhan-11 was less affected by the oxidative damage caused by PEG. Data provides insight into the root morphological plasticity of four morphologically diverse rice varieties under PEG-induced osmotic stress.

Root Growth Potential, Variability and Heritability of Yemane (Gmelina arborea Roxb) in the Philippines

The experiment was undertaken to characterize root growth potential (RGP) and determine growth variability and heritability of eight hundred Yemane (Gmelina arborea Roxb) based on provenance in 3 provinces in the Philippines. Significant variations of morphological characteristics of seedlings of Yemane by seed sources were found in the study. Seed sources from Quezon and Cotabato Provinces differed in all morphological traits compared with the seed sources from Davao del Sur. The root growth potential in terms of the number of first order lateral roots (FOLR) was positively correlated with all seedlings morphological characters, such as root collar diameter, primary root length, stem height, and root:shoot ratio. The frequency distribution of FOLR revealed to be normal. The seedlings FOLR was fro m 3 to 35 with an average of 18. Three natural FOLR groupings were established such as: R1 (0–10); R2 (11– 20); and R3 (21–30+). The entire traits measured were genetically influenced by the seed sources based on observed high heritability estimates.

Rizogênese <i>in vitro</i> em brotações de <i>Luehea divaricata</i> Mart. & Zucc.

Luehea divaricata, conhecida popularmente como açoita-cavalo, é uma espécie florestal nativa da Mata Atlântica muito utilizada para a recuperação de áreas degradadas. Sua madeira pode ser empregada para as mais diversas finalidades, o que contribuiu para a redução de suas populações naturais e ocasionou dificuldades na obtenção de sementes com qualidade genética, fisiológica e sanitária para uso na produção de mudas. Sendo assim, a micropropagação é uma alternativa para a produção de mudas da espécie para uso em projetos ambientais. Com isso, o presente trabalho teve como objetivo otimizar o processo de rizogênese in vitro e, para isso, foram avaliadas, inicialmente, diferentes concentrações de sais do meio nutritivo WPM. Em seguida, foram estudados os efeitos do ácido indolbutírico (AIB), adicionado ao meio em tratamento “pulse” por 15 dias, e do ácido naftalenoacético (ANA), na rizogênese, em ambos os casos em cultivo em meio WPM cuja concentração de sais foi reduzida à metade (WPM/2). Por fim, também foi analisado o efeito da combinação de volumes de vermiculita com WPM/2. Os resultados indicaram que o meio WPM/2 apresentou resultados promissores para o estabelecimento (98%) in vitro e, no que diz respeito à formação de raízes adventícias primárias, após 45 dias de cultivo in vitro observaram-se as maiores médias (40,52%), independentemente da concentração de sais do meio. O tratamento “pulse” após 30 dias de cultivo in vitro, independentemente da concentração de AIB, resultou em uma média de 25,18% de formação de raízes adventícias primárias. As combinações de 20 mL + 15 cm³, 20 mL + 30 cm³ e 30 mL + 30 cm³ de meio nutritivo e de vermiculita, respectivamente, foram as mais favoráveis para a formação de raízes adventícias laterais de segunda ordem, proporcionando médias entre 38 e 49,5% após 45 dias de cultivo in vitro. Para otimizar o processo de rizogênese de Luehea divaricata é indicado o cultivo in vitro por 45 dias em meio nutritivo WPM/2, combinado com vermiculita, prescindindo da adição de auxinas.

Effects of Five Growing Media and Two Fertilizer Levels on Polybag—Raised Camden Whitegum (Eucalyptus benthamii Maiden & Cambage) Seedling Morphology and Drought Hardiness

In developing countries, tree seedlings are often produced in polybags filled with mixtures of locally available materials. Seedling growth and quality can be affected by the type and amount of these substrates used in the mixture. Differences in seedling growth and quality can also be significantly affected when fertilization is employed during the nursery growing period. In this study, we assessed the effects of five different growing media and two fertilization regimes on nursery growth, seedling morphology and early post-planting response to drought of Eucalyptus benthamii (Maiden & Cambage) seedlings. First, we evaluated the effects of each media by fertilizer treatment combination on morphological attributes during a nursery growing period. Seedlings raised in fertilized media without rice hulls yielded higher growth, root dry mass, shoot dry mass, total dry mass, Dickson quality index (DQI) scores, and number of first order lateral roots (FOLRs). Root to shoot ratio (R:S ratio) was, however, greater in non-fertilized media that contained rice hulls. We then conducted a simulated outplanting and drought hardiness experiment, in which seedlings were planted in 13.2 L containers and irrigated for one month, followed by the imposition of drought stress. Seedlings in fertilized media composed of sand, topsoil and compost showed greater growth than those in rice hull-containing media, during the irrigation phase. With the discontinuation of irrigation and prevention of precipitation reaching the seedlings, seedlings grown in non-fertilized media containing rice hulls survived longer than those in other media. There were no large differences in survival among other media or between fertilized and other non-fertilized seedlings. Seedling total size and shoot height at the time of planting played a major role in survival. Smaller seedlings with smaller shoot sizes and greater R:S ratios survived longer. This study demonstrates that growing media and fertilization can be manipulated to affect seedling morphology in the nursery and, ultimately, seedling performance and survival under water stressed conditions.

Changes in Root Anatomy of Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) under Different Durations of Early Season Drought

Changes in the anatomical structure of peanut roots due to early season drought will likely affect the water acquiring capacity of the root system. Yet, as important as these changes are likely to be in conferring drought resistance, they have not been thoroughly investigated. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of different durations of drought on the root anatomy of peanut in response to early season drought. Plants of peanut genotype ICGV 98305 were grown in rhizoboxes with an internal dimension of 50 cm in width, 10 cm in thickness and 120 cm in height. Fourteen days after emergence, water was withheld for periods of 0, 7, 14 or 21 days. After these drought periods, the first and second order roots from 0–20 cm below soil surface were sampled for anatomical observation. The mean xylem vessel diameter of first- order lateral roots was higher than that of second- order lateral roots. Under early season drought stress root anatomy changes were more pronounced in the longer drought period treatments. Twenty-one days after imposing water stress, the drought treatment and irrigated treatment were clearly different in diameter, number and area of xylem vessels of first- and second-order lateral roots. Plants under drought conditions had a smaller diameter and area of xylem vessels than did the plants under irrigated control. The ability of plants to change root anatomy likely improves water uptake and transport and this may be an important mechanism for drought tolerance. The information will be useful for the selection of drought durations for evaluation of root anatomy related to drought resistance and the selection of key traits for drought resistance.

Natural variation in root system architecture in diverse wheat genotypes grown under different nitrate conditions and root growth media

Roots have significant impact on plants ability to adapt to different environmental constraints such as nutrient availability. They exhibit varied morphological responses to different nitrogen levels indicating its developmental plasticity in relation to nitrogen availability. In order to understand the genetic diversity in modulation of root architecture among diverse wheat genotypes in response to external root growth media and nitrate starvation, root system architecture parameters such as total toot size, main root size, lateral root size, 1st order lateral root number and 2nd order lateral root number were studied in 15 days old seedlings of twelve diverse wheat genotypes carrying different nitrogen use efficiency traits in three different root growth media i.e. hydroponic culture (HC), solid nutrient free (in terms of plant nutrients; vermiculite and perlite mixture; VPC) culture and soil culture (SC). We observed that both nitrate starvation and root growth media modulate overall root system architecture. However, the ability of such modulation is genotype specific. Further, the solid nutrient free media, in contrast to solution culture (HC), induced much pronounced effect on overall architecture indicating their nitrate foraging ability in natural soil condition. Among the two solid media, VPC has caused more exploratory root morphology in nitrate deficient condition. In general the effect of nitrate stress is more predominant in VPC followed by HC than SC. Among genotypes, NP846 and HS1097-17 were found to be most responsive towards nitrogen starvation condition and root growth media as far as root traits are concerned.

External Nitrogen and Carbon Source-Mediated Response on Modulation of Root System Architecture and Nitrate Uptake in Wheat Seedlings

Nitrogen uptake efficiency is an important component trait that could be targeted for improving nitrogen use efficiency of crop plants. To understand the responses of different nitrate transport systems and the influence of root system architecture on nitrate uptake under limited nitrate conditions in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) at the seedling stage, we studied nitrate uptake, root system architecture, and expression of different nitrate transporter genes in induced and non-induced wheat seedlings. Further, effects of inclusion of sucrose and two amino acids (glutamine and asparagine) in induction medium on these parameters were also studied. We observed that the induced wheat root system took up more nitrate as compared to non-induced root system in a dose-dependent manner. Gene expression of both high- and low-affinity nitrate transporter gene showed differential expression in the induced root tissues, as compared to non-induced tissues, depending on the concentration of nitrate present in induction medium. External nutrient media containing sucrose, glutamine, and asparagine reduce nitrate concentration in both root and shoot tissues and also influence the gene expression of these transporters. Our observations indicate that upon induction with milder external nitrate concentrations, the root architecture is modulated by changing overall lateral root size and 1st order lateral root numbers along with activation of nitrate transporters which acquire and transport nitrate in roots and shoots, respectively, depending on the carbon and nitrogen source available to seedlings.

Diversity in root growth responses to moisture deficit in young faba bean (Vicia faba L.) plants.

BackgroundSoil moisture deficiency causes yield reduction and instability in faba bean (Vicia faba L.) production. The extent of sensitivity to drought stress varies across accessions originating from diverse moisture regimes of the world. Hence, we conducted successive greenhouse experiments in pots and rhizotrons to explore diversity in root responses to soil water deficit.MethodsA set of 89 accessions from wet and dry growing regions of the world was defined according to the Focused Identification of Germplasm Strategy and screened in a perlite-sand medium under well watered conditions in a greenhouse experiment. Stomatal conductance, canopy temperature, chlorophyll concentration, and root and shoot dry weights were recorded during the fifth week of growth. Eight accessions representing the range of responses were selected for further investigation. Starting five days after germination, they were subjected to a root phenotyping experiment using the automated phenotyping platform GROWSCREEN-Rhizo. The rhizotrons were filled with peat-soil under well watered and water limited conditions. Root architectural traits were recorded five, 12, and 19 days after the treatment (DAT) began.ResultsIn the germplasm survey, accessions from dry regions showed significantly higher values of chlorophyll concentration, shoot and root dry weights than those from wet regions. Root and shoot dry weight as well as seed weight, and chlorophyll concentration were positively correlated with each other. Accession DS70622 combined higher values of root and shoot dry weight than the rest. The experiment in GROWSCREEN-Rhizo showed large differences in root response to water deficit. The accession by treatment interactions in taproot and second order lateral root lengths were significant at 12 and 19 DAT, and the taproot length was reduced up to 57% by drought. The longest and deepest root systems under both treatment conditions were recorded by DS70622 and DS11320, and total root length of DS70622 was three times longer than that of WS99501, the shortest rooted accession. The maximum horizontal distribution of a root system and root surface coverage were positively correlated with taproot and total root lengths and root system depth. DS70622 and WS99501 combined maximum and minimum values of these traits, respectively. Thus, roots of DS70622 and DS11320, from dry regions, showed drought-avoidance characteristics whereas those of WS99501 and Mèlodie/2, from wet regions, showed the opposite.DiscussionThe combination of the germplasm survey and use of GROWSCREEN-Rhizo allowed exploring of adaptive traits and detection of root phenotypic markers for potential drought avoidance. The greater root system depth and root surface coverage, exemplified by DS70622 and DS11320, can now be tested as new sources of drought tolerance.

Influence of Propagation Method on Root Architecture and Other Traits of Young Citrus Rootstock Plants

There are generally inadequate supplies of seed for the newest rootstocks to satisfy the growing demand for the propagation material to be used in commercial citrus nurseries. Consequently, rootstock propagation, which is traditionally by seed, now often makes use of alternative methods such as cuttings and tissue culture (TC). Propagation through cuttings and TC will generate a root system that is largely composed of adventitious or lateral roots, compared with seed propagation, which will generally promote the formation of a well-defined taproot. In this study, we compared root architecture and growth of seven different rootstock plants, generated from seed, stem cuttings, or TC, during the early weeks of growth in the greenhouse. Based on total dry biomass, root mass fraction of plants generated from cuttings ranged from 11% to 16%, and from 16% to 29% and 21% to 30% for micropropagated plants and seedlings, respectively. Plants propagated through cuttings had the most primary roots (7–10), followed by tissue culture–propagated plants which developed an average of 2–6 primary roots. As expected, plants grown from seeds mostly developed a single and well-defined taproot during the first weeks. The total number of first order lateral roots was highest in the plants propagated as cuttings (108–185) compared with 53–103 and 43–78 for tissue culture–propagated plants and seedlings, respectively. Similarly, specific root length (SRL) was highest in plants derived from cuttings (21–43 m·g−1) and lowest in plants grown from seed (7–20 m·g−1). It is suggested that the larger number and length of roots on rootstock plants propagated through vegetative methods may be better suited for resource acquisition as compared with seed propagated plants.

Nitric Oxide Accelerates Mycorrhizal Effects on Plant Growth and Root Development of Trifoliate Orange

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) actively colonize plant roots and thus enhance plant growth through different mechanisms. In the present study, trifoliate orange (Poncirus trifoliata) seedlings inoculated with Diversispora versiformis were subjected to 0 and 0.2 mmol/L sodium nitroprusside (SNP, a nitric oxide donor) treatments. After eight weeks, exogenous SNP considerably increased root mycorrhizal colonization by 25%, showing a positive stimulating effect of NO on mycorrhizal formation. Mycorrhizal inoculation significantly increased plant growth performance (height, stem diameter, leaf number and shoot and root dry weight) and root traits (length, projected area, surface area, volume and number of 2nd and 3rd order lateral roots) than non-mycorrhizal treatment and NO (exogenous SNP treatment) heavily strengthened the mycorrhizal effects. Moreover, NO and mycorrhization induced more fine root (0-0.5 cm) formation. There was an opposite changed trend in root sucrose and leaf and root glucose contents by SNP in AMF versus non-AMF seedlings. All these results implied that NO plays important roles in mycorrhizal formation and development and also accelerates mycorrhizal effects on plant growth and root development of trifoliate orange.

Wheat root length and not branching is altered in the presence of neighbours, including blackgrass.

The effect of neighbouring plants on crop root system architecture may directly interfere with water and nutrient acquisition, yet this important and interesting aspect of competition remains poorly understood. Here, the effect of the weed blackgrass (Alopecurus myosuroides Huds.) on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) roots was tested, since a low density of this species (25 plants m-2) can lead to a 10% decrease in wheat yield and herbicide resistance is problematic. We used a simplified growth system based on gelled medium, to grow wheat alongside a neighbour, either another wheat plant, a blackgrass or Brachypodium dystachion individual (a model grass). A detailed analysis of wheat seminal root system architecture showed that the presence of a neighbour principally affected the root length, rather than number or diameter under a high nutrient regime. In particular, the length of first order lateral roots decreased significantly in the presence of blackgrass and Brachypodium. However, this effect was not noted when wheat plants were grown in low nutrient conditions. This suggests that wheat may be less sensitive to the presence of blackgrass when grown in low nutrient conditions. In addition, nutrient availability to the neighbour did not modulate the neighbour effect on wheat root architecture.

Forecasting the field performance of Austrian pine seedlings using morphological attributes

Abstract: This study examined whether the morphological attributes of Austrian pine (Pinus nigra ssp. nigra var. nigra Arnold) seedlings measured in the nursery could be used to forecast subsequent field performance over an extended time frame. Seedlings from three seed sources were produced in two types of containers and in bareroot seedbeds. These seedlings were measured for an array of morphological attributes (height, HT; root collar diameter, RCD; shoot height/diameter ratio, HD; shoot and root dry weight, SDW and RDW, respectively; shoot:root ratio, S:R; number of the first order lateral roots, FOLR; and Dickson quality index, DQI) and then planted at two sample plots with different soil depth. Seedling attributes were tested against field survival and growth in the first three years and growth in the twelfth year for their ability to forecast field performance. Correlations between morphological attributes and field performance were stronger for the plot with shallower soil, having potentially drier conditions. HT, HD, and S:R were the best attributes for forecasting seedling survival. HD was the most reliable attribute to forecast growth during the first three years after planting, defining the largest proportion of variation for growth (r2=0.36 to 0.86). Morphological attributes were better able to forecast field performance in the first three years at the shallow soil site, with FOLR the best single morphological variable. HT, DIA, and RDW were the best attributes to forecast growth during the first three years after planting on both sites. Morphological attributes were not able to forecast growth 12 years after planting.