Impact of axial root growth angles on nitrogen acquisition in maize depends on environmental conditions

Dathe, Annette; Postma, Johannes; Postma-Blaauw, M.B.; Lynch, Jonathan P.

doi:10.1093/aob/mcw112

Cited by 71 publications

(81 citation statements)

References 69 publications

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“…RCS may interact with growth angle or other phenes that affect the placement of roots in different soil domains. In some nitrogen regimes, a steep growth angle increases nitrogen capture (Trachsel et al 2013;Dathe et al 2016) and its interaction with RCS may enable the deep placement of roots in soil to capture mobile nutrients. Phene synergisms are important drivers in evolution and plant adaptation and have strong interactions with environmental conditions.…”

Section: Synergisms With Other Plant Phenesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Cortical phene states that reduce living cortical tissue reduce root respiration and nutrient content, thereby permitting greater resource allocation to other plant functions including growth and reproduction Lynch 2015). For example, the development of root cortical aerenchyma (RCA) in maize improves plant performance in environments with suboptimal nutrient and water availability (Zhu et al 2010;Postma and Lynch 2011a, b;Jaramillo et al 2013;Saengwilai et al 2014;Chimungu et al 2015), an effect which modeling studies show can be attributed to a reduction in root metabolic costs (Postma et al 2014;Dathe et al 2016). Fewer cell files or greater cell size in the root cortex of maize substantially reduces root respiration and improves soil exploration and water acquisition in conditions of suboptimal water availability (Chimungu et al 2014a(Chimungu et al , 2014b.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Functional implications of root cortical senescence for soil resource capture

Schneider

Lynch

2017

Plant Soil

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Background Root phenes play a primary role in plant adaptation to edaphic stress. Understanding the functional implications of root phenotypes will enable the development of crop varieties with improved soil resource acquisition. Root cortical senescence (RCS) is a type of programmed cell death in cortical cells of several Poaceae species. Until recently there has been very little attention to the functional implications of RCS for water and nutrient capture. Scope We explore the functional implications of RCS as an adaptive trait for water and nutrient acquisition. The present review summarizes evidence from our own studies and other published work, and provides novel insights into the fitness landscape of RCS. Progress has recently been achieved in understanding the development and physiological implications of RCS. We propose that RCS is a useful trait for water and nutrient acquisition, particularly in edaphic stress conditions. Conclusions Further research is needed to understand the utility and tradeoffs of RCS in the context of specific environments, management practices, and phenotypic backgrounds. The utility of RCS for improved plant performance under edaphic stress merits investigation in the field. RCS may be a useful breeding target for improved soil resource capture in several major crop species including wheat, barley, and triticale.

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Section: Synergisms With Other Plant Phenesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

Functional implications of root cortical senescence for soil resource capture

Schneider

Lynch

2017

Plant Soil

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“…Simulation studies enable the evaluation of RCS in truly isophenic lines characterized by identical root and shoot phenotypes with a single contrasting phene state, permitting analysis of the effects attributed directly to that phene state, which is generally infeasible in empirical studies (Postma and Lynch, 2011b). SimRoot, a functional-structural plant model, also can simulate contrasting environments while holding the plant phenotype constant, which is challenging in empirical studies (Dathe et al, 2016). SimRoot results have been useful guides for subsequent empirical work.…”

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confidence: 99%

“…Synergisms also may exist with phenes that effect root placement in soil domains. For example, a steep growth angle increases nitrogen capture in some N regimes (Trachsel et al, 2013;Dathe et al, 2016). Phene synergisms show strong interactions with environmental conditions and, therefore, may be important drivers in evolution and should be considered in crop breeding.…”

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confidence: 99%

Root Cortical Senescence Improves Growth under Suboptimal Availability of N, P, and K

et al. 2017

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Root cortical senescence (RCS) in Triticeae reduces nutrient uptake, nutrient content, respiration, and radial hydraulic conductance of root tissue. We used the functional-structural model SimRoot to evaluate the functional implications of RCS in barley (Hordeum vulgare) under suboptimal nitrate, phosphorus, and potassium availability. The utility of RCS was evaluated using sensitivity analyses in contrasting nutrient regimes. At flowering (80 d), RCS increased simulated plant growth by up to 52%, 73%, and 41% in nitrate-, phosphorus-, and potassium-limiting conditions, respectively. Plants with RCS had reduced nutrient requirement of root tissue for optimal plant growth, reduced total cumulative cortical respiration, and increased total carbon reserves. Nutrient reallocation during RCS had a greater effect on simulated plant growth than reduced respiration or nutrient uptake. Under low nutrient availability, RCS had greater benefit in plants with fewer tillers. RCS had greater benefit in phenotypes with fewer lateral roots at low nitrate availability, but the opposite was true in low phosphorus or potassium availability. Additionally, RCS was quantified in field-grown barley in different nitrogen regimes. Field and virtual soil coring simulation results demonstrated that living cortical volume per root length (an indicator of RCS) decreased with depth in younger plants, while roots of older plants had very little living cortical volume per root length. RCS may be an adaptive trait for nutrient acquisition by reallocating nutrients from senescing tissue and secondarily by reducing root respiration. These simulated results suggest that RCS merits investigation as a breeding target for enhanced soil resource acquisition and edaphic stress tolerance.

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“…A post‐simulation analysis of root geometry, nutrient uptake and carbon (C) costs enabled the comparison of different RSAs with respect to their efficiency in taking up phosphorus (P) relative to C costs (Nielsen et al ., 1994, 1997; Lynch & Beebe, 1995; Lynch et al ., 1997; Ge et al ., 2000; Rubio et al ., 2001; Walk et al ., 2004, 2006). Later versions coupled physiological mechanisms, such as root respiration, nutrient uptake, canopy photosynthesis and RSA, to simulate how the root phenotype dynamically interacts with the soil environment, and how this interaction influences the acquisition of soil resources and, consequently, plant growth (Postma & Lynch, 2011a,b, 2012; Dathe et al ., 2013, 2016; Postma et al ., 2014a; York et al ., 2016). The initial focus was on P capture (Lynch & Beebe, 1995; Ge et al ., 2000; Ma et al ., 2001; Postma & Lynch, 2011b), which was later expanded to include C (photosynthesis), nitrogen (N), potassium (K) and water (Postma et al ., 2008; Postma & Lynch, 2011a; Dathe et al ., 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

OpenSimRoot: widening the scope and application of root architectural models

et al. 2017

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Summary OpenSimRoot is an open‐source, functional–structural plant model and mathematical description of root growth and function. We describe OpenSimRoot and its functionality to broaden the benefits of root modeling to the plant science community.OpenSimRoot is an extended version of simroot, established to simulate root system architecture, nutrient acquisition and plant growth. OpenSimRoot has a plugin, modular infrastructure, coupling single plant and crop stands to soil nutrient and water transport models. It estimates the value of root traits for water and nutrient acquisition in environments and plant species.The flexible OpenSimRoot design allows upscaling from root anatomy to plant community to estimate the following: resource costs of developmental and anatomical traits; trait synergisms; and (interspecies) root competition. OpenSimRoot can model three‐dimensional images from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and X‐ray computed tomography (CT) of roots in soil. New modules include: soil water‐dependent water uptake and xylem flow; tiller formation; evapotranspiration; simultaneous simulation of mobile solutes; mesh refinement; and root growth plasticity.OpenSimRoot integrates plant phenotypic data with environmental metadata to support experimental designs and to gain a mechanistic understanding at system scales.

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Impact of axial root growth angles on nitrogen acquisition in maize depends on environmental conditions

Cited by 71 publications

References 69 publications

Functional implications of root cortical senescence for soil resource capture

Functional implications of root cortical senescence for soil resource capture

Root Cortical Senescence Improves Growth under Suboptimal Availability of N, P, and K

OpenSimRoot: widening the scope and application of root architectural models

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