Genetic variation in morphological traits in cotton and their roles in increasing phosphorus-use-efficiency in response to low phosphorus availability

Abstract

Phosphorus (P) is an essential macronutrient required for fundamental processes in plants. Trait plasticity is crucial for plant adaptation to environmental change. Variations in traits underlie diverse phosphorus (P) acquisition strategies among plants. Nevertheless, how the intraspecific plasticity and integration of morphological traits contribute to Phosphorus-Use-Efficiency (PUE) in cotton is unknown. In this study, 25 morphological traits were evaluated in 384 cotton genotypes grown with low P (LP, 10μmol. L−1) and normal nutrition (CK, 500μmol. L−1) to assess the genetic variability of morphological traits and their relationship to phosphorus use efficiency. Results revealed a large genetic variation in mostly morphological traits under low P. Significant enhancement in root traits and phosphorus efficiency-related traits like PUE was observed at LP as compared to CK conditions. In response to low P availability, cotton genotypes showed large plasticity in shoot and total dry biomass, phosphorus, and nitrogen efficiency-related traits (i.e., phosphorus/nitrogen use efficiency, phosphorus/nitrogen uptake efficiency), and most root traits, but a limited response in root dry biomass, taproot length, root surface area, root volume, and SPAD value. In addition, significant correlations were observed between PUtE (phosphorus uptake efficiency), NUE (nitrogen use efficiency), TDB (total dry biomass), and RTD (root tissue density) with PUE under both P supply level and phosphorus stress index, which may be a key indicator for improving PUE under LP conditions. Most root traits are most affected by genotypes than nutrition level. Conserved PUE is more affected by the nutrition level than the genotype effect. Principal component analysis depicted the comprehensive indicators under two P supply conditions were mainly reflected in root-related traits and morphological indicators such as dry matter biomass. These results indicate that interspecific variations exist within these cotton genotypes and traits. Our study provides suggestions for future research to enhance the ability of the earth system model to predict how crops respond to environmental interference and provide target quality for cotton breeding in phosphorus-deficient areas.

Effect of Phosphorus Levels on Early Seedlings of Rice (Oryza sativa) under Varying Moisture Stress Conditions

“…A nota outcome of the experiment was the observation that with every 25% increase in phosphorus application, there was a substantial increase in root length and root hair growth [10,11]. This suggests a positive correlation between phosphorus levels and root length, with a significant boost in root growth as phosphorus application rates were increased by 25% increments.…”

Genotypic variation in carbon and nitrogen metabolism in the cotton subtending leaves and seed cotton yield under various nitrogen levels

“…The collected samples from both pot and field experiments were separately kept in an oven at 105 °C for 1 h, followed by 80 °C for the next 48 h. After complete drying, all the samples were separately ground for the measurement of N concentration using a micro‐flow AutoAnalyzer 3 (Seal Analytical GmbH, Norderstedt, Germany). Moreover, various NUE‐related definitions, such as N accumulation, N biological efficiency (NBE), N apparent recovery efficiency (NAR), N uptake efficiency (NUpE), and NUE were measured according to previous studies: 46‐48 …”

“…The collected samples from both pot and field experiments were separately kept in an oven at 105 °C for 1 h, followed by 80 °C for the next 48 h. After complete drying, all the samples were separately ground for the measurement of N concentration using a micro-flow AutoAnalyzer 3 (Seal Analytical GmbH, Norderstedt, Germany). Moreover, various NUE-related definitions, such as N accumulation, N biological efficiency (NBE), N apparent recovery efficiency (NAR), N uptake efficiency (NUpE), and NUE were measured according to previous studies: [46][47][48]…”

Trait Correlations and Implications for Yield Potential in Cotton: A Comprehensive Study

“…Yield improvement in cotton has been the subject of extensive research, and understanding the correlations between key traits and yield potential has been a fundamental aspect of cotton breeding programs (Kolhar and Jagtap, 2023;Kumar et al, 2020). The continuous demand for cotton has prompted researchers and breeders to explore strategies to enhance cotton yield and related traits by improving its morphological characteristics (Kayoumu et al, 2022;Sami et al, 2023). Morphological traits are crucial in determining cotton plants' overall performance and productivity, including plant architecture, branching pattern, and reproductive characteristics (Zaki and Hussein, 2022).…”