Root architecture: Influence of metameric organization and emission of lateral roots

Chiatante, Donato; Scippa, Gabriella Stefania

doi:10.1080/11263500600947749

Cited by 10 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 160 publications

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“…For example, studies of adaptation to soil conditions and investigations about the possibility of affecting the formation of new lateral roots will have to include the whole root length and not only in the zone where the primary structure is present. Furthermore, pruning of woody roots with the aim of changing/improving functions such as nutrient absorption (Atkinson & Hooker, 1993;Lynch, 1995) or anchorage to the soil (Chiatante & Scippa, 2006) would become a practicable technique in crop production. However, we cannot overlook the fact that the thick bark surrounding woody roots will continue to hinder such studies.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lateral root emission in woody taproots ofFraxinus ornusL.

Chiatante

Scippa

Iorio

et al. 2007

Plant Biosystems - An International Journal Dealing with all As

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We applied environmental stresses, namely dehydration, pruning and bending, to woody taproots of Fraxinus ornus L. in order to: (i) identify a method that could be applied in routine studies of lateral root development from a secondary structure; and (ii) carry out anatomical investigations to identify the tissue involved in the recruitment of lateral root mother cells (LRMC). We found that all three methods induce the formation of new lateral roots from a woody parental root. However, bending stress considerably reduced the zone of the woody parental root (the curvature) for analysis when studying the process of emission of a new lateral root. The trace left by a new lateral root in the taproot secondary xylem forms a V-shaped insertion zone that starts in contact with a growth ring and enlarges toward the periphery. This type of insertion zone suggests that the vascular cambium is the tissue-source of initials that produce the root primordium of a new lateral root. In the case of root bending, the emission of a new lateral root occurs also in the convex side of the curvature and is preceded by the formation, at the same site, of a small amount of reaction wood. Thus, reaction wood and lateral root emission are two aspects of the same response mechanism to bending. Consequently, anatomical and cytological studies of lateral root formation should focus on this part of the woody taproot. By peeling off the bark at this site, one has direct access to the underlying living tissues and can thus investigate lateral root formation also at a biochemical and molecular level.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lateral root emission in woody taproots ofFraxinus ornusL.

Chiatante

Scippa

Iorio

et al. 2007

Plant Biosystems - An International Journal Dealing with all As

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“…Previous observations have established that the root apparatus of woody species grown on slope conditions presents a variation in the number and the spatial distribution (generating an asymmetric architecture) of lateral roots, with respect to plants present on plane. These morphogenic adaptations have been interpreted as an attempt of the roots to counteract active slope terrain forces or windy conditions, which menace the uprooting of the plant (Di Iorio et al 2005, Chiatante and Scippa, 2006). A simple experimental system was recently proposed by us to investigate long‐term mechanical stresses affecting woody roots (Scippa et al 2008).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Involvement of lignin and hormones in the response of woody poplar taproots to mechanical stress

Trupiano

Iorio

Montagnoli

et al. 2012

Physiologia Plantarum

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Mechanical stress is a widespread condition caused by numerous environmental factors that severely affect plant stability. In response to mechanical stress, plants have evolved complex response pathways able to detect mechanical perturbations and inducing a suite of modifications in order to improve anchorage. The response of woody roots to mechanical stresses has been studied mainly at the morphological and biomechanical level, whereas investigations on the factors triggering these important alterations are still at the initial stage. Populus has been widely used to study the response of stem to different mechanical stresses and, since it has the first forest tree genome to be decoded, represents a model woody plant for addressing questions on the mechanisms controlling adaptation of woody roots to changing environments. In this study, a morphological and physiological analysis was used to investigate factors controlling modifications in Populus nigra woody taproots subjected to mechanical stress. An experimental model analyzing spatial and temporal mechanical force distribution along the woody taproot axis enabled us to compare the events occurring in its above-, centraland below-bending sectors. Different morphogenetic responses and local variations of lignin and plant hormones content have been observed, and a relation with the distribution of the mechanical forces along the stressed woody taproots is hypothesized. We investigated the differences of the response to mechanical stress induction during the time; in this regard, we present data referring to the effect of mechanical stress on plant transition from its condition of winter dormancy to that of full vegetative activity.

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“…More recently, the effect of slope on root architecture and root biomass distribution has been investigated (Di Iorio et al, 2005;Chiatante & Scippa, 2006). The authors show that trees growing on a slope develop asymmetric root architecture with lateral roots developing in two main directions: upslope and down-slope.…”

Section: Mechanical Properties Of Rootsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…at some distance from the root apex), the possibility of forming new lateral roots should be limited to the portion of its axis where primary tissues are still present. This event should be represented in the model by the fact that in the zone of a parental root with a secondary structure, the overall number of lateral roots should decrease when they are shed as a consequence of natural turnover (Chiatante & Scippa, 2006).…”

Section: Linking Coarse and Fine Roots In Developmental Modellingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…in the categorisation of coarse and fine roots, the property of lateral root production should be valid for each parental root and should depend only upon tissue differentiation. However, for the case of a fine root never developing a secondary structure, once internal or external factors have induced the tissues to give origin to a new primordium for a lateral root (reviewed in Chiatante & Scippa, 2006), the fact that the new situation has a possibility to remain a permanent property of that root should be included in a model, see Figure 6. Using the Root-typ framework, Collet et al (2006) defined a ''fine root'' type with a determinate primary growth, no radial growth, no branching and short life span.…”

Section: Linking Coarse and Fine Roots In Developmental Modellingmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Towards developmental modelling of tree root systems

Tobin

Čermák

Chiatante

et al. 2007

Plant Biosystems - An International Journal Dealing with all As

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Knowledge of belowground structures and processes is essential for understanding and predicting ecosystem functioning, and consequently in the development of adaptive strategies to safeguard production from trees and woody plants into the future. In the past, research has mainly been concentrated on growth models for the prediction of agronomic or forest production. Newly emerging scientific challenges, e.g. climate change and sustainable development, call for new integrated predictive methods where root systems development will become a key element for understanding global biological systems. The types of input data available from the various branches of woody root research, including biomass allocation, architecture, biomechanics, water and nutrient supply, are discussed with a view to the possibility of incorporating them into a more generic developmental model. We discuss here the main focus of root system modelling to date, including a description of simple allometric biomass models, and biomechanical stress models, and then build in complexity through static growth models towards architecture models. The next progressive and logical step in developing an inclusive developmental model that integrates these modelling approaches is discussed.

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Root architecture: Influence of metameric organization and emission of lateral roots

Cited by 10 publications

References 160 publications

Lateral root emission in woody taproots ofFraxinus ornusL.

Lateral root emission in woody taproots ofFraxinus ornusL.

Involvement of lignin and hormones in the response of woody poplar taproots to mechanical stress

Towards developmental modelling of tree root systems

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