1
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Sidhu JS, Lynch JP. Cortical cell size regulates root metabolic cost. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2024; 118:1343-1357. [PMID: 38340035 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.16672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
It has been hypothesized that vacuolar occupancy in mature root cortical parenchyma cells regulates root metabolic cost and thereby plant fitness under conditions of drought, suboptimal nutrient availability, and increased soil mechanical impedance. However, the mechanistic role of vacuoles in reducing root metabolic cost was unproven. Here we provide evidence to support this hypothesis. We first show that root cortical cell size is determined by both cortical cell diameter and cell length. Significant genotypic variation for both cortical cell diameter (~1.1- to 1.5-fold) and cortical cell length (~ 1.3- to 7-fold) was observed in maize and wheat. GWAS and QTL analyses indicate cortical cell diameter and length are heritable and under independent genetic control. We identify candidate genes for both phenes. Empirical results from isophenic lines contrasting for cortical cell diameter and length show that increased cell size, due to either diameter or length, is associated with reduced root respiration, nitrogen content, and phosphorus content. RootSlice, a functional-structural model of root anatomy, predicts that an increased vacuolar: cytoplasmic ratio per unit cortical volume causes reduced root respiration and nutrient content. Ultrastructural imaging of cortical parenchyma cells with varying cortical diameter and cortical cell length confirms the in silico predictions and shows that an increase in cell size is correlated with increased vacuolar volume and reduced cytoplasmic volume. Vacuolar occupancy and its relationship with cell size merits further investigation as a phene for improving crop adaptation to edaphic stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jagdeep Singh Sidhu
- Department of Plant Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, 16802, USA
| | - Jonathan P Lynch
- Department of Plant Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, 16802, USA
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2
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Li Y, Wang J, Gao Y, Pandey BK, Peralta Ogorek LL, Zhao Y, Quan R, Zhao Z, Jiang L, Huang R, Qin H. The OsEIL1-OsWOX11 transcription factor module controls rice crown root development in response to soil compaction. THE PLANT CELL 2024; 36:2393-2409. [PMID: 38489602 PMCID: PMC11132869 DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koae083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2024] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
Optimizing the root architecture of crops is an effective strategy for improving crop yields. Soil compaction is a serious global problem that limits crop productivity by restricting root growth, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are largely unclear. Here, we show that ethylene stimulates rice (Oryza sativa) crown root development in response to soil compaction. First, we demonstrate that compacted soil promotes ethylene production and the accumulation of ETHYLENE INSENSITIVE 3-LIKE 1 (OsEIL1) in rice roots, stimulating crown root primordia initiation and development, thereby increasing crown root number in lower stem nodes. Through transcriptome profiling and molecular analyses, we reveal that OsEIL1 directly activates the expression of WUSCHEL-RELATED HOMEOBOX 11 (OsWOX11), an activator of crown root emergence and growth, and that OsWOX11 mutations delay crown root development, thus impairing the plant's response to ethylene and soil compaction. Genetic analysis demonstrates that OsWOX11 functions downstream of OsEIL1. In summary, our results demonstrate that the OsEIL1-OsWOX11 module regulates ethylene action during crown root development in response to soil compaction, providing a strategy for the genetic modification of crop root architecture and grain agronomic traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuxiang Li
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Juan Wang
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
- National Key Facility of Crop Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Yadi Gao
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Bipin K Pandey
- Plant and Crop Science Department, School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Loughborough LE12 5RD, United Kingdom
| | - Lucas León Peralta Ogorek
- Plant and Crop Science Department, School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Loughborough LE12 5RD, United Kingdom
| | - Yu Zhao
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Ruidang Quan
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
- National Key Facility of Crop Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Zihan Zhao
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Lei Jiang
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Rongfeng Huang
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
- National Key Facility of Crop Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Hua Qin
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
- National Key Facility of Crop Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement, Beijing 100081, China
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3
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Yu P, Li C, Li M, He X, Wang D, Li H, Marcon C, Li Y, Perez-Limón S, Chen X, Delgado-Baquerizo M, Koller R, Metzner R, van Dusschoten D, Pflugfelder D, Borisjuk L, Plutenko I, Mahon A, Resende MFR, Salvi S, Akale A, Abdalla M, Ahmed MA, Bauer FM, Schnepf A, Lobet G, Heymans A, Suresh K, Schreiber L, McLaughlin CM, Li C, Mayer M, Schön CC, Bernau V, von Wirén N, Sawers RJH, Wang T, Hochholdinger F. Seedling root system adaptation to water availability during maize domestication and global expansion. Nat Genet 2024:10.1038/s41588-024-01761-3. [PMID: 38778242 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-024-01761-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
The maize root system has been reshaped by indirect selection during global adaptation to new agricultural environments. In this study, we characterized the root systems of more than 9,000 global maize accessions and its wild relatives, defining the geographical signature and genomic basis of variation in seminal root number. We demonstrate that seminal root number has increased during maize domestication followed by a decrease in response to limited water availability in locally adapted varieties. By combining environmental and phenotypic association analyses with linkage mapping, we identified genes linking environmental variation and seminal root number. Functional characterization of the transcription factor ZmHb77 and in silico root modeling provides evidence that reshaping root system architecture by reducing the number of seminal roots and promoting lateral root density is beneficial for the resilience of maize seedlings to drought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Yu
- Crop Functional Genomics, Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES), University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
- Emmy Noether Group Root Functional Biology, Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES), University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
| | - Chunhui Li
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Resources and Breeding, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, PR China
| | - Meng Li
- Department of Plant Science, The Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, USA
| | - Xiaoming He
- Crop Functional Genomics, Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES), University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- Emmy Noether Group Root Functional Biology, Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES), University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Danning Wang
- Crop Functional Genomics, Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES), University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- Emmy Noether Group Root Functional Biology, Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES), University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Hongjie Li
- Crop Functional Genomics, Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES), University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- Emmy Noether Group Root Functional Biology, Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES), University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Caroline Marcon
- Crop Functional Genomics, Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES), University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Yu Li
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Resources and Breeding, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, PR China
| | - Sergio Perez-Limón
- Department of Plant Science, The Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, USA
| | - Xinping Chen
- College of Resources and Environment, and Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University (SWU), Chongqing, PR China
| | - Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo
- Laboratorio de Biodiversidad y Funcionamiento Ecosistémico. Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología de Sevilla (IRNAS), CSIC, Sevilla, Spain
- Unidad Asociada CSIC-UPO (BioFun), Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Robert Koller
- Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, Plant Sciences (IBG-2), Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH, Juelich, Germany
| | - Ralf Metzner
- Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, Plant Sciences (IBG-2), Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH, Juelich, Germany
| | - Dagmar van Dusschoten
- Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, Plant Sciences (IBG-2), Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH, Juelich, Germany
| | - Daniel Pflugfelder
- Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, Plant Sciences (IBG-2), Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH, Juelich, Germany
| | - Ljudmilla Borisjuk
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), Gatersleben, Germany
| | - Iaroslav Plutenko
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), Gatersleben, Germany
| | - Audrey Mahon
- Horticultural Sciences Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Marcio F R Resende
- Horticultural Sciences Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Silvio Salvi
- Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Asegidew Akale
- Chair of Root-Soil Interactions, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Mohanned Abdalla
- Chair of Root-Soil Interactions, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Mutez Ali Ahmed
- Chair of Root-Soil Interactions, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Felix Maximilian Bauer
- Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, Agrosphere (IBG-3), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich, Germany
| | - Andrea Schnepf
- Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, Agrosphere (IBG-3), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich, Germany
| | - Guillaume Lobet
- Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, Agrosphere (IBG-3), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich, Germany
- Earth and Life Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, UCLouvain, Belgium
| | - Adrien Heymans
- Earth and Life Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, UCLouvain, Belgium
| | - Kiran Suresh
- Institute of Cellular and Molecular Botany (IZMB), Department of Ecophysiology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Lukas Schreiber
- Institute of Cellular and Molecular Botany (IZMB), Department of Ecophysiology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Chloee M McLaughlin
- Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in Plant Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, USA
| | - Chunjian Li
- Key Laboratory of Plant-Soil Interactions, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, National Academy of Agriculture Green Development, Ministry of Education, China Agricultural University, Beijing, PR China
| | - Manfred Mayer
- Plant Breeding, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Chris-Carolin Schön
- Plant Breeding, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Vivian Bernau
- North Central Regional Plant Introduction Station, USDA-Agriculture Research Service and Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Nicolaus von Wirén
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), Gatersleben, Germany
| | - Ruairidh J H Sawers
- Department of Plant Science, The Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, USA.
| | - Tianyu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Resources and Breeding, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, PR China.
| | - Frank Hochholdinger
- Crop Functional Genomics, Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES), University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
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4
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Voothuluru P, Wu Y, Sharp RE. Not so hidden anymore: Advances and challenges in understanding root growth under water deficits. THE PLANT CELL 2024; 36:1377-1409. [PMID: 38382086 PMCID: PMC11062450 DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koae055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
Limited water availability is a major environmental factor constraining plant development and crop yields. One of the prominent adaptations of plants to water deficits is the maintenance of root growth that enables sustained access to soil water. Despite early recognition of the adaptive significance of root growth maintenance under water deficits, progress in understanding has been hampered by the inherent complexity of root systems and their interactions with the soil environment. We highlight selected milestones in the understanding of root growth responses to water deficits, with emphasis on founding studies that have shaped current knowledge and set the stage for further investigation. We revisit the concept of integrated biophysical and metabolic regulation of plant growth and use this framework to review central growth-regulatory processes occurring within root growth zones under water stress at subcellular to organ scales. Key topics include the primary processes of modifications of cell wall-yielding properties and osmotic adjustment, as well as regulatory roles of abscisic acid and its interactions with other hormones. We include consideration of long-recognized responses for which detailed mechanistic understanding has been elusive until recently, for example hydrotropism, and identify gaps in knowledge, ongoing challenges, and opportunities for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priya Voothuluru
- Division of Plant Science and Technology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
- Interdisciplinary Plant Group, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
| | - Yajun Wu
- Department of Biology and Microbiology, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD 57007, USA
| | - Robert E Sharp
- Division of Plant Science and Technology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
- Interdisciplinary Plant Group, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
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5
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Li P, Zhang Z, Xiao G, Zhao Z, He K, Yang X, Pan Q, Mi G, Jia Z, Yan J, Chen F, Yuan L. Genomic basis determining root system architecture in maize. TAG. THEORETICAL AND APPLIED GENETICS. THEORETISCHE UND ANGEWANDTE GENETIK 2024; 137:102. [PMID: 38607439 DOI: 10.1007/s00122-024-04606-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
KEY MESSAGE A total of 389 and 344 QTLs were identified by GWAS and QTL mapping explaining accumulatively 32.2-65.0% and 23.7-63.4% of phenotypic variation for 14 shoot-borne root traits using more than 1300 individuals across multiple field trails. Efficient nutrient and water acquisition from soils depends on the root system architecture (RSA). However, the genetic determinants underlying RSA in maize remain largely unexplored. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive genetic analysis for 14 shoot-borne root traits using 513 inbred lines and 800 individuals from four recombinant inbred line (RIL) populations at the mature stage across multiple field trails. Our analysis revealed substantial phenotypic variation for these 14 root traits, with a total of 389 and 344 QTLs identified through genome-wide association analysis (GWAS) and linkage analysis, respectively. These QTLs collectively explained 32.2-65.0% and 23.7-63.4% of the trait variation within each population. Several a priori candidate genes involved in auxin and cytokinin signaling pathways, such as IAA26, ARF2, LBD37 and CKX3, were found to co-localize with these loci. In addition, a total of 69 transcription factors (TFs) from 27 TF families (MYB, NAC, bZIP, bHLH and WRKY) were found for shoot-borne root traits. A total of 19 genes including PIN3, LBD15, IAA32, IAA38 and ARR12 and 19 GWAS signals were overlapped with selective sweeps. Further, significant additive effects were found for root traits, and pyramiding the favorable alleles could enhance maize root development. These findings could contribute to understand the genetic basis of root development and evolution, and provided an important genetic resource for the genetic improvement of root traits in maize.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengcheng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Nutrient Use and Management, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, National Academy of Agriculture Green Development, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology/Co-Innovation Center for Modern Production Technology of Grain Crops, Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics of the Ministry of Education, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China
| | - Zhihai Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Nutrient Use and Management, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, National Academy of Agriculture Green Development, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Gui Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Nutrient Use and Management, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, National Academy of Agriculture Green Development, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Zheng Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Nutrient Use and Management, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, National Academy of Agriculture Green Development, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Kunhui He
- State Key Laboratory of Nutrient Use and Management, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, National Academy of Agriculture Green Development, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Xiaohong Yang
- National Maize Improvement Center of China, Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Qingchun Pan
- State Key Laboratory of Nutrient Use and Management, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, National Academy of Agriculture Green Development, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
- Key Lab of Plant-Soil Interaction, MOE, Center for Resources, Environment and Food Security, College Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Guohua Mi
- State Key Laboratory of Nutrient Use and Management, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, National Academy of Agriculture Green Development, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
- Key Lab of Plant-Soil Interaction, MOE, Center for Resources, Environment and Food Security, College Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Zhongtao Jia
- State Key Laboratory of Nutrient Use and Management, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, National Academy of Agriculture Green Development, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
- Key Lab of Plant-Soil Interaction, MOE, Center for Resources, Environment and Food Security, College Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Jianbing Yan
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Fanjun Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Nutrient Use and Management, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, National Academy of Agriculture Green Development, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China.
- Key Lab of Plant-Soil Interaction, MOE, Center for Resources, Environment and Food Security, College Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China.
| | - Lixing Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Nutrient Use and Management, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, National Academy of Agriculture Green Development, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China.
- Key Lab of Plant-Soil Interaction, MOE, Center for Resources, Environment and Food Security, College Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China.
- Center for Crop Functional Genomics and Molecular Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China.
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6
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Yan M, Yang D, He Y, Ma Y, Zhang X, Wang Q, Gao J. Alfalfa Responses to Intensive Soil Compaction: Effects on Plant and Root Growth, Phytohormones and Internal Gene Expression. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 13:953. [PMID: 38611482 PMCID: PMC11013635 DOI: 10.3390/plants13070953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2024] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
The perennial legume alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is of high value in providing cheap and high-nutritive forages. Due to a lack of tillage during the production period, the soil in which alfalfa grows prunes to become compacted through highly mechanized agriculture. Compaction deteriorates the soil's structure and fertility, leading to compromised alfalfa development and productivity. However, the way alfalfa responses to different levels of soil compaction and the underlying molecular mechanism are still unclear. In this study, we systematically evaluated the effects of gradient compacted soil on the growth of different cultivars of alfalfa, especially the root system architecture, phytohormones and internal gene expression profile alterations. The results showed that alfalfa growth was facilitated by moderate soil compaction, but drastically inhibited when compaction was intensified. The inhibition effect was universal across different cultivars, but with different severity. Transcriptomic and physiological studies revealed that the expression of a set of genes regulating the biosynthesis of lignin and flavonoids was significantly repressed in compaction treated alfalfa roots, and this might have resulted in a modified secondary cell wall and xylem vessel formation. Phytohormones, like ABA, are supposed to play pivotal roles in the regulation of the overall responses. These findings provide directions for the improvement of field soil management in alfalfa production and the molecular breeding of alfalfa germplasm with better soil compaction resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingke Yan
- College of Grassland Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Dongming Yang
- College of Grassland Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Yijun He
- College of Grassland Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yonglong Ma
- College of Grassland Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
- School of Agronomy, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, China
| | - Xin Zhang
- College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Quanzhen Wang
- College of Grassland Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Jinghui Gao
- College of Grassland Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
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7
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Kalra A, Goel S, Elias AA. Understanding role of roots in plant response to drought: Way forward to climate-resilient crops. THE PLANT GENOME 2024; 17:e20395. [PMID: 37853948 DOI: 10.1002/tpg2.20395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
Drought stress leads to a significant amount of agricultural crop loss. Thus, with changing climatic conditions, it is important to develop resilience measures in agricultural systems against drought stress. Roots play a crucial role in regulating plant development under drought stress. In this review, we have summarized the studies on the role of roots and root-mediated plant responses. We have also discussed the importance of root system architecture (RSA) and the various structural and anatomical changes that it undergoes to increase survival and productivity under drought. Various genes, transcription factors, and quantitative trait loci involved in regulating root growth and development are also discussed. A summarization of various instruments and software that can be used for high-throughput phenotyping in the field is also provided in this review. More comprehensive studies are required to help build a detailed understanding of RSA and associated traits for breeding drought-resilient cultivars.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anmol Kalra
- Department of Botany, University of Delhi, North Campus, Delhi, India
| | - Shailendra Goel
- Department of Botany, University of Delhi, North Campus, Delhi, India
| | - Ani A Elias
- ICFRE - Institute of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding (ICFRE - IFGTB), Coimbatore, India
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8
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Xu F, Chen J, Li Y, Ouyang S, Yu M, Wang Y, Fang X, He K, Yu F. The soil emergence-related transcription factor PIF3 controls root penetration by interacting with the receptor kinase FER. Dev Cell 2024; 59:434-447.e8. [PMID: 38295794 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2024.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Revised: 09/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
The cotyledons of etiolated seedlings from terrestrial flowering plants must emerge from the soil surface, while roots must penetrate the soil to ensure plant survival. We show here that the soil emergence-related transcription factor PHYTOCHROME-INTERACTING FACTOR 3 (PIF3) controls root penetration via transducing external signals perceived by the receptor kinase FERONIA (FER) in Arabidopsis thaliana. The loss of FER function in Arabidopsis and soybean (Glycine max) mutants resulted in a severe defect in root penetration into agar medium or hard soil. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) profiling of Arabidopsis roots identified a distinct cell clustering pattern, especially for root cap cells, and identified PIF3 as a FER-regulated transcription factor. Biochemical, imaging, and genetic experiments confirmed that PIF3 is required for root penetration into soil. Moreover, FER interacted with and stabilized PIF3 to modulate the expression of mechanosensitive ion channel PIEZO and the sloughing of outer root cap cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fan Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Biology, and Hunan Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics and Developmental Regulation, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China
| | - Jia Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Biology, and Hunan Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics and Developmental Regulation, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China
| | - Yingbin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Biology, and Hunan Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics and Developmental Regulation, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China
| | - Shilin Ouyang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Biology, and Hunan Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics and Developmental Regulation, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China
| | - Mengting Yu
- College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China
| | - Yirong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Biology, and Hunan Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics and Developmental Regulation, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China
| | - Xianming Fang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Cell Activities and Stress Adaptations, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Kai He
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Cell Activities and Stress Adaptations, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Feng Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Biology, and Hunan Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics and Developmental Regulation, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China.
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9
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McCahill IW, Khahani B, Probert CF, Flockhart EL, Abushal LT, Gregory GA, Zhang Y, Baumgart LA, O’Malley RC, Hazen SP. Shoring up the base: the development and regulation of cortical sclerenchyma in grass nodal roots. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.25.577257. [PMID: 38352548 PMCID: PMC10862697 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.25.577257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
Plants depend on the combined action of a shoot-root-soil system to maintain their anchorage to the soil. Mechanical failure of any component of this system results in lodging, a permanent and irreversible inability to maintain vertical orientation. Models of anchorage in grass crops identify the compressive strength of roots near the soil surface as key determinant of resistance to lodging. Indeed, studies of disparate grasses report a ring of thickened, sclerenchyma cells surrounding the root cortex, present only at the base of nodal roots. Here, in the investigation of the development and regulation of this agronomically important trait, we show that development of these cells is uncoupled from the maturation of other secondary cell wall-fortified cells, and that cortical sclerenchyma wall thickening is stimulated by mechanical forces transduced from the shoot to the root. We also show that exogenous application of gibberellic acid stimulates thickening of lignified cell types in the root, including cortical sclerenchyma, but is not sufficient to establish sclerenchyma identity in cortex cells. Leveraging the ability to manipulate cortex development via mechanical stimulus, we show that cortical sclerenchyma development alters root mechanical properties and improves resistance to lodging. We describe transcriptome changes associated with cortical sclerenchyma development under both ambient and mechanically stimulated conditions and identify SECONDARY WALL NAC7 as a putative regulator of mechanically responsive cortex cell wall development at the root base.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian W. McCahill
- Biology Department, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
- Plant Biology Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Bahman Khahani
- Biology Department, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
- Plant Biology Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | | | | | - Logayn T. Abushal
- Biology Department, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
- Plant Biology Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Greg A. Gregory
- Biology Department, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
- Plant Biology Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Yu Zhang
- U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Leo A. Baumgart
- U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Ronan C. O’Malley
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Samuel P. Hazen
- Biology Department, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
- Plant Biology Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
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10
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Pandey BK, Bennett MJ. Uncovering root compaction response mechanisms: new insights and opportunities. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2024; 75:578-583. [PMID: 37950742 PMCID: PMC10773992 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erad389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/13/2023]
Abstract
Compaction disrupts soil structure, reducing root growth, nutrient and water uptake, gas exchange, and microbial growth. Root growth inhibition by soil compaction was originally thought to reflect the impact of mechanical impedance and reduced water availability. However, using a novel gas diffusion-based mechanism employing the hormone ethylene, recent research has revealed that plant roots sense soil compaction. Non-compacted soil features highly interconnected pore spaces that facilitate diffusion of gases such as ethylene which are released by root tips. In contrast, soil compaction stress disrupts the pore network, causing ethylene to accumulate around root tips and trigger growth arrest. Genetically disrupting ethylene signalling causes roots to become much less sensitive to compaction stress. Such new understanding about the molecular sensing mechanism and emerging root anatomical traits provides novel opportunities to develop crops resistant to soil compaction by targeting key genes and their signalling pathways. This expert view discusses these recent advances and the molecular mechanisms associated with root-soil compaction responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bipin K Pandey
- Plant and Crop Science, School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Leicestershire LE12 5RD, UK
| | - Malcolm J Bennett
- Plant and Crop Science, School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Leicestershire LE12 5RD, UK
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11
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Peralta Ogorek LL, Jiménez JDLC, Visser EJW, Takahashi H, Nakazono M, Shabala S, Pedersen O. Outer apoplastic barriers in roots: prospects for abiotic stress tolerance. FUNCTIONAL PLANT BIOLOGY : FPB 2024; 51:NULL. [PMID: 37814289 DOI: 10.1071/fp23133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023]
Abstract
Floods and droughts are becoming more frequent as a result of climate change and it is imperative to find ways to enhance the resilience of staple crops to abiotic stresses. This is crucial to sustain food production during unfavourable conditions. Here, we analyse the current knowledge about suberised and lignified outer apoplastic barriers, focusing on the functional roles of the barrier to radial O2 loss formed as a response to soil flooding and we discuss whether this trait also provides resilience to multiple abiotic stresses. The barrier is composed of suberin and lignin depositions in the exodermal and/or sclerenchyma cell walls. In addition to the important role during soil flooding, the barrier can also restrict radial water loss, prevent phytotoxin intrusion, salt intrusion and the main components of the barrier can impede invasion of pathogens in the root. However, more research is needed to fully unravel the induction pathway of the outer apoplastic barriers and to address potential trade-offs such as reduced nutrient or water uptake. Nevertheless, we suggest that the outer apoplastic barriers might act as a jack of all trades providing tolerance to multiple abiotic and/or biotic stressors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas León Peralta Ogorek
- The Freshwater Biological Laboratory, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen 2100, Denmark; and School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington LE12 5RD, UK
| | - Juan de la Cruz Jiménez
- The Freshwater Biological Laboratory, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen 2100, Denmark
| | - Eric J W Visser
- Department of Experimental Plant Ecology, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences, Radboud University Nijmegen, Heyendaalseweg 135, Nijmegen 6525 AJ, Netherlands
| | - Hirokazu Takahashi
- Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan
| | - Mikio Nakazono
- Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan; and School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley WA 6009, Australia
| | - Sergey Shabala
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley WA 6009, Australia; and International Research Centre for Environmental Membrane Biology, Foshan University, Foshan, China
| | - Ole Pedersen
- The Freshwater Biological Laboratory, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen 2100, Denmark; and School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley WA 6009, Australia
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12
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Joseph Fernando EA, Selvaraj M, Uga Y, Busch W, Bowers H, Tohme J. Going deep: Roots, carbon, and analyzing subsoil carbon dynamics. MOLECULAR PLANT 2024; 17:1-3. [PMID: 38008936 DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2023.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/28/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael Selvaraj
- Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, Km 17 Recta Cali-Palmira, Aprtado Aereo 6713, Cali 763537, Colombia
| | - Yusaku Uga
- National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences (NIAS), Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0856, Japan
| | - Wolfgang Busch
- Wolfgang Busch, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 N Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Hunt Bowers
- Earth Optics, Suite 840, Arlington, VA 22202, USA
| | - Joe Tohme
- Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, Km 17 Recta Cali-Palmira, Aprtado Aereo 6713, Cali 763537, Colombia
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13
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Zhang Y, Cao J, Lu M, Kardol P, Wang J, Fan G, Kong D. The origin of bi-dimensionality in plant root traits. Trends Ecol Evol 2024; 39:78-88. [PMID: 37777374 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2023.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/02/2023]
Abstract
Plant roots show extraordinary diversity in form and function in heterogeneous environments. Mounting evidence has shown global bi-dimensionality in root traits, the root economics spectrum (RES), and an orthogonal dimension describing mycorrhizal collaboration; however, the origin of the bi-dimensionality remains unresolved. Here, we propose that bi-dimensionality arises from the cylindrical geometry of roots, allometry between root cortex and stele, and independence between root cell wall thickness and cell number. Root geometry and mycorrhizal collaboration may both underlie the bi-dimensionality. Further, we emphasize why plant roots should be cylindrical rather than flat. Finally, we highlight the need to integrate organ-, cellular-, and molecular-level processes driving the bi-dimensionality in plant roots to fully understand plant diversity and functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Zhang
- College of Forestry, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Jingjing Cao
- College of Forestry, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | | | - Paul Kardol
- Department of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, 75007, Sweden; Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, 90183, Sweden
| | - Junjian Wang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Soil and Groundwater Pollution Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
| | - Guoqiang Fan
- College of Forestry, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Deliang Kong
- College of Forestry, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China.
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14
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Donde R, Kohli PS, Pandey M, Sirohi U, Singh B, Giri J. Dissecting chickpea genomic loci associated with the root penetration responsive traits in compacted soil. PLANTA 2023; 259:17. [PMID: 38078944 DOI: 10.1007/s00425-023-04294-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023]
Abstract
MAIN CONCLUSION Soil compaction reduces root exploration in chickpea. We found genes related to root architectural traits in chickpea that can help understand and improve root growth in compacted soils. Soil compaction is a major concern for modern agriculture, as it constrains plant root growth, leading to reduced resource acquisition. Phenotypic variation for root system architecture (RSA) traits in compacted soils is present for various crops; however, studies on genetic associations with these traits are lacking. Therefore, we investigated RSA traits in different soil compaction levels and identified significant genomic associations in chickpea. We conducted a Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS) of 210 chickpea accessions for 13 RSA traits under three bulk densities (BD) (1.1BD, 1.6BD, and 1.8BD). Soil compaction decreases root exploration by reducing 12 RSA traits, except average diameter (AD). Further, AD is negatively correlated with lateral root traits, and this correlation increases in 1.8BD, suggesting the negative effect of AD on lateral root traits. Interestingly, we identified probable candidate genes such as GLP3 and LRX for lateral root traits and CRF1-like for total length (TL) in 1.6BD soil. In heavy soil compaction, DGK2 is associated with lateral root traits. Reduction in laterals during soil compaction is mainly due to delayed seedling establishment, thus making lateral root number a critical trait. Interestingly, we also found a higher contribution of the GxE component of the number of root tips (Tips) to the total variation than the other lateral traits. We also identified a pectin esterase, PPE8B, associated with Tips in high soil compaction and a significantly associated SNP with the relative change in Tips depicting a trade-off between Tips and AD. Identified genes and loci would help develop soil-compaction-resistant chickpea varieties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ravindra Donde
- National Institute of Plant Genome Research, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, 110067, India
| | - Pawandeep Singh Kohli
- National Institute of Plant Genome Research, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, 110067, India
| | - Mandavi Pandey
- National Institute of Plant Genome Research, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, 110067, India
| | - Ujjwal Sirohi
- National Institute of Plant Genome Research, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, 110067, India
| | - Bhagat Singh
- National Institute of Plant Genome Research, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, 110067, India
| | - Jitender Giri
- National Institute of Plant Genome Research, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, 110067, India.
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15
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Ahmad I, Sohail M, Hameed M, Fatima S, Ahmad MSA, Ahmad F, Mehmood A, Basharat S, Asghar A, Shah SMR, Ahmad KS. Morpho-anatomical determinants of yield potential in Olea europaea L. cultivars belonging to diversified origin grown in semi-arid environments. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0286736. [PMID: 37285364 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0286736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Plant performance is mainly estimated based on plant architecture, leaf features and internal microstructural changes. Olive (Olea europaea L.) is a drought tolerant, oil yielding, and medium sized woody tree that shows specific structural and functional modifications under changing environment. This study was aimed to know the microstructural alteration involving in growth and yield responses of different Olive cultivars. Eleven cultivars were collected all over the world and were planted at Olive germplasm unit, Barani Agricultural Research Institute, Chakwal (Punjab) Pakistan, during September to November 2017. Plant material was collected to correlate morpho-anatomical traits with yield contributing characteristics. Overall, the studied morphological characters, yield and yield parameters, and root, stem and leaf anatomical features varied highly significantly in all olive cultivars. The most promising cultivar regarding yield was Erlik, in which plant height seed weight and root anatomical characteristics, i.e., epidermal thickness and phloem thickness, stem features like collenchymatous thickness, phloem thickness and metaxylem vessel diameter, and leaf traits like midrib thickness, palisade cell thickness a phloem thickness were the maximum. The second best Hamdi showed the maximum plant height, fruit length, weight and diameter and seed length and weight. It also showed maximum stem phloem thickness, midrib and lamina thicknesses, palisade cell thickness. Fruit yield in the studied olive cultivars can be more closely linked to high proportion of storage parenchyma, broader xylem vessels and phloem proportion, dermal tissue, and high proportion of collenchyma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iftikhar Ahmad
- Department of Botany, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Mohammad Sohail
- Department of Botany, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Mansoor Hameed
- Department of Botany, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Sana Fatima
- Department of Botany, The Government Sadiq College Women University, Bahawalpur, Pakistan
| | | | - Farooq Ahmad
- Department of Botany, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Ansar Mehmood
- Department of Botany, University of Poonch Rawlakot, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan
| | - Sana Basharat
- Department of Botany, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Ansa Asghar
- Department of Botany, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Syed Mohsan Raza Shah
- Department of Botany, Division of Science and Technology, University of Education, Lahore, Pakistan
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16
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Sidhu JS, Ajmera I, Arya S, Lynch JP. RootSlice-A novel functional-structural model for root anatomical phenotypes. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2023; 46:1671-1690. [PMID: 36708192 DOI: 10.1111/pce.14552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Revised: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Root anatomy is an important determinant of root metabolic costs, soil exploration, and soil resource capture. Root anatomy varies substantially within and among plant species. RootSlice is a multicellular functional-structural model of root anatomy developed to facilitate the analysis and understanding of root anatomical phenotypes. RootSlice can capture phenotypically accurate root anatomy in three dimensions of different root classes and developmental zones, of both monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous species. Several case studies are presented illustrating the capabilities of the model. For maize nodal roots, the model illustrated the role of vacuole expansion in cell elongation; and confirmed the individual and synergistic role of increasing root cortical aerenchyma and reducing the number of cortical cell files in reducing root metabolic costs. Integration of RootSlice for different root zones as the temporal properties of the nodal roots in the whole-plant and soil model OpenSimRoot/maize enabled the multiscale evaluation of root anatomical phenotypes, highlighting the role of aerenchyma formation in enhancing the utility of cortical cell files for improving plant performance over varying soil nitrogen supply. Such integrative in silico approaches present avenues for exploring the fitness landscape of root anatomical phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jagdeep Singh Sidhu
- Department of Plant Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, State College, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Ishan Ajmera
- Department of Plant Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, State College, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Sankalp Arya
- Department of Plant Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, State College, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jonathan P Lynch
- Department of Plant Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, State College, Pennsylvania, USA
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17
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Qin H, Wang J, Zhou J, Qiao J, Li Y, Quan R, Huang R. Abscisic acid promotes auxin biosynthesis to inhibit primary root elongation in rice. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 191:1953-1967. [PMID: 36535001 PMCID: PMC10022642 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiac586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Soil compaction is a global problem causing inadequate rooting and poor yield in crops. Accumulating evidence indicates that phytohormones coordinately regulate root growth via regulating specific growth processes in distinct tissues. However, how abscisic acid (ABA) signaling translates into auxin production to control root growth during adaptation to different soil environments is still unclear. In this study, we report that ABA has biphasic effects on primary root growth in rice (Oryza sativa) through an auxin biosynthesis-mediated process, causing suppression of root elongation and promotion of root swelling in response to soil compaction. We found that ABA treatment induced the expression of auxin biosynthesis genes and auxin accumulation in roots. Conversely, blocking auxin biosynthesis reduced ABA sensitivity in roots, showing longer and thinner primary roots with larger root meristem size and smaller root diameter. Further investigation revealed that the transcription factor basic region and leucine zipper 46 (OsbZIP46), involved in ABA signaling, can directly bind to the YUCCA8/rice ethylene-insensitive 7 (OsYUC8/REIN7) promoter to activate its expression, and genetic analysis revealed that OsYUC8/REIN7 is located downstream of OsbZIP46. Moreover, roots of mutants defective in ABA or auxin biosynthesis displayed the enhanced ability to penetrate compacted soil. Thus, our results disclose the mechanism in which ABA employs auxin as a downstream signal to modify root elongation and radial expansion, resulting in short and swollen roots impaired in their ability to penetrate compacted soil. These findings provide avenues for breeders to select crops resilient to soil compaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hua Qin
- Authors for correspondence: (H.Q.); (R.H.)
| | | | | | - Jinzhu Qiao
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Yuxiang Li
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Ruidang Quan
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
- National Key Facility of Crop Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement, Beijing 100081, China
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18
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Thomas DJ, Rainbow J, Bartley LE. The rapid-tome, a 3D-printed microtome, and an updated hand-sectioning method for high-quality plant sectioning. PLANT METHODS 2023; 19:12. [PMID: 36739429 PMCID: PMC9898918 DOI: 10.1186/s13007-023-00986-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Microscopic analysis of plant anatomy is a common procedure in biology to study structure and function that requires high-quality sections for accurate measurements. Hand sectioning of specimens is typically limited to moderately soft tissue while harder samples prohibit sectioning by hand and/or result in inconsistent thicknesses. RESULTS Here we present both a clearly described hand-sectioning method and a novel microtome design that together provide the means to section a variety of plant sample types. The described hand-sectioning method for herbaceous stems works well for softer subjects but is less suitable for samples with secondary growth (e.g., wood production). Instead, the "Rapid-Tome" is a novel tool for sectioning both soft and tougher high-aspect-ratio samples, such as stems and roots, with excellent sample control. The Rapid-Tome can be 3D-printed in approximately 18 h on a mid-quality printer common at university maker spaces. After printing and trimming, Rapid-Tome assembly takes a few minutes with five metal parts common at hardware stores. Users sectioned a variety of plant samples including the hollow internodes of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), fibrous switchgrass roots containing aerenchyma, and woody branches of eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana) and American sycamore (Platanus occidentalis). A comparative analyses with Rapid-Tome-produced sections readily revealed a significant difference in seasonal growth of sycamore xylem vessel area in spring (49%) vs. summer (23%). Additionally, high school students with no prior experience produced sections with the Rapid-Tome adequate for comparative analyses of various plant samples in less than an hour. CONCLUSIONS The described hand-sectioning method is suitable for softer tissues, including hollow-stemmed grasses and similar samples. In addition, the Rapid-Tome provides capacity to safely produce high-quality sections of tougher plant materials at a fraction of the cost of traditional microtomes combined with excellent sample control. The Rapid-Tome features rapid sectioning, sample advancement, blade changes, and sample changes; it is highly portable and can be used easily with minimal training making production of thin sections accessible for classroom and outreach use, in addition to research.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J Thomas
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA
| | - Jordan Rainbow
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA
| | - Laura E Bartley
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA.
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19
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Xia M, Valverde‐Barrantes OJ, Suseela V, Blackwood CB, Tharayil N. Characterizing natural variability of lignin abundance and composition in fine roots across temperate trees: a comparison of analytical methods. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2022; 236:2358-2373. [PMID: 36168143 PMCID: PMC9828118 DOI: 10.1111/nph.18515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2022] [Accepted: 08/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Lignin is an important root chemical component that is widely used in biogeochemical models to predict root decomposition. Across ecological studies, lignin abundance has been characterized using both proximate and lignin-specific methods, without much understanding of their comparability. This uncertainty in estimating lignin limits our ability to comprehend the mechanisms regulating root decomposition and to integrate lignin data for large-scale syntheses. We compared five methods of estimating lignin abundance and composition in fine roots across 34 phylogenetically diverse tree species. We also assessed the feasibility of high-throughput techniques for fast-screening of root lignin. Although acid-insoluble fraction (AIF) has been used to infer root lignin and decomposition, AIF-defined lignin content was disconnected from the lignin abundance estimated by techniques that specifically measure lignin-derived monomers. While lignin-specific techniques indicated lignin contents of 2-10% (w/w) in roots, AIF-defined lignin contents were c. 5-10-fold higher, and their interspecific variation was found to be largely unrelated to that determined using lignin-specific techniques. High-throughput pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, when combined with quantitative modeling, accurately predicted lignin abundance and composition, highlighting its feasibility for quicker assessment of lignin in roots. We demonstrate that AIF should be interpreted separately from lignin in fine roots as its abundance is unrelated to that of lignin polymers. This study provides the basis for informed decision-making with respect to lignin methodology in ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengxue Xia
- Department of Plant & Environmental SciencesClemson UniversityClemsonSC29634USA
| | - Oscar J. Valverde‐Barrantes
- International Center for Tropical Biodiversity, Institute of EnvironmentFlorida International UniversityMiamiFL33199USA
| | - Vidya Suseela
- Department of Plant & Environmental SciencesClemson UniversityClemsonSC29634USA
| | | | - Nishanth Tharayil
- Department of Plant & Environmental SciencesClemson UniversityClemsonSC29634USA
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20
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Schneider HM. Functional implications of multiseriate cortical sclerenchyma for soil resource capture and crop improvement. AOB PLANTS 2022; 14:plac050. [PMID: 36545297 PMCID: PMC9762723 DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/plac050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Suboptimal nutrient and water availability are primary constraints to crop growth. Global agriculture requires crops with greater nutrient and water efficiency. Multiseriate cortical sclerenchyma (MCS), a root anatomical trait characterized by small cells with thick cell walls encrusted with lignin in the outer cortex, has been shown to be an important trait for adaptation in maize and wheat in mechanically impeded soils. However, MCS has the potential to improve edaphic stress tolerance in a number of different crop taxa and in a number of different environments. This review explores the functional implications of MCS as an adaptive trait for water and nutrient acquisition and discusses future research perspectives on this trait for incorporation into crop breeding programs. For example, MCS may influence water and nutrient uptake, resistance to pests, symbiotic interactions, microbial interactions in the rhizosphere and soil carbon deposition. Root anatomical phenotypes are underutilized; however, important breeding targets for the development of efficient, productive and resilient crops urgently needed in global agriculture.
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21
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Shoaib M, Banerjee BP, Hayden M, Kant S. Roots’ Drought Adaptive Traits in Crop Improvement. PLANTS 2022; 11:plants11172256. [PMID: 36079644 PMCID: PMC9460784 DOI: 10.3390/plants11172256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Revised: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Drought is one of the biggest concerns in agriculture due to the projected reduction of global freshwater supply with a concurrent increase in global food demand. Roots can significantly contribute to improving drought adaptation and productivity. Plants increase water uptake by adjusting root architecture and cooperating with symbiotic soil microbes. Thus, emphasis has been given to root architectural responses and root–microbe relationships in drought-resilient crop development. However, root responses to drought adaptation are continuous and complex processes and involve additional root traits and interactions among themselves. This review comprehensively compiles and discusses several of these root traits such as structural, physiological, molecular, hydraulic, anatomical, and plasticity, which are important to consider together, with architectural changes, when developing drought resilient crop varieties. In addition, it describes the significance of root contribution in improving soil structure and water holding capacity and its implication on long-term resilience to drought. In addition, various drought adaptive root ideotypes of monocot and dicot crops are compared and proposed for given agroclimatic conditions. Overall, this review provides a broader perspective of understanding root structural, physiological, and molecular regulators, and describes the considerations for simultaneously integrating multiple traits for drought tolerance and crop improvement, under specific growing environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirza Shoaib
- Agriculture Victoria, Grains Innovation Park, 110 Natimuk Road, Horsham, VIC 3400, Australia
- School of Applied Systems Biology, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Melbourne, VIC 3083, Australia
| | - Bikram P. Banerjee
- Agriculture Victoria, Grains Innovation Park, 110 Natimuk Road, Horsham, VIC 3400, Australia
| | - Matthew Hayden
- School of Applied Systems Biology, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Melbourne, VIC 3083, Australia
- Agriculture Victoria, AgriBio, Centre for AgriBioscience, 5 Ring Road, Bundoora, Melbourne, VIC 3083, Australia
| | - Surya Kant
- Agriculture Victoria, Grains Innovation Park, 110 Natimuk Road, Horsham, VIC 3400, Australia
- School of Applied Systems Biology, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Melbourne, VIC 3083, Australia
- Agriculture Victoria, AgriBio, Centre for AgriBioscience, 5 Ring Road, Bundoora, Melbourne, VIC 3083, Australia
- Correspondence:
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22
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Li D, Jia Z. How do plant roots overcome physical barriers? JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2022; 73:4612-4614. [PMID: 35950462 PMCID: PMC9366319 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erac238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
This article comments on: Bello-Bello E, Rico-Chambrón TY, Ortiz Ramírez LA, Rellán Álvarez R, Herrera Estrella L. 2022. ROOT PENETRATION INDEX 3, a major quantitative trait locus associated with root system penetrability in Arabidopsis. Journal of Experimental Botany 73, 4716–4732.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daiyan Li
- Triticeae Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, 611130 Chengdu, China
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23
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Bello Bello E, Rico Cambron TY, Ortiz Ramírez LA, Rellán Álvarez R, Herrera-Estrella L. ROOT PENETRATION INDEX 3, a major quantitative trait locus associated with root system penetrability in Arabidopsis. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2022; 73:4716-4732. [PMID: 35512438 PMCID: PMC9366324 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erac188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Soil mechanical impedance precludes root penetration, confining root system development to shallow soil horizons where mobile nutrients are scarce. Using a two-phase-agar system, we characterized Arabidopsis responses to low and high mechanical impedance at three root penetration stages. We found that seedlings whose roots fail to penetrate agar barriers show a significant reduction in leaf area, root length, and elongation zone and an increment in root diameter, while those capable of penetrating show only minor morphological effects. Analyses using different auxin-responsive reporter lines, exogenous auxins, and inhibitor treatments suggest that auxin responsiveness and PIN-mediated auxin distribution play an important role in regulating root responses to mechanical impedance. The assessment of 21 Arabidopsis accessions revealed that primary root penetrability varies widely among accessions. To search for quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated to root system penetrability, we evaluated a recombinant inbred population derived from Landsberg erecta (Ler-0, with a high primary root penetrability) and Shahdara (Sha, with a low primary root penetrability) accessions. QTL analysis revealed a major-effect QTL localized in chromosome 3, ROOT PENETRATION INDEX 3 (q-RPI3), which accounted for 29.98% (logarithm of odds=8.82) of the total phenotypic variation. Employing an introgression line (IL-321) with a homozygous q-RPI3 region from Sha in the Ler-0 genetic background, we demonstrated that q-RPI3 plays a crucial role in root penetrability. This multiscale study reveals new insights into root plasticity during the penetration process in hard agar layers, natural variation, and genetic architecture behind primary root penetrability in Arabidopsis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elohim Bello Bello
- Unidad de Genómica Avanzada/LANGEBIO, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados, Irapuato, México
| | - Thelma Y Rico Cambron
- Unidad de Genómica Avanzada/LANGEBIO, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados, Irapuato, México
| | - Lesly Abril Ortiz Ramírez
- Unidad de Genómica Avanzada/LANGEBIO, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados, Irapuato, México
| | - Rubén Rellán Álvarez
- Department of Molecular and Structural Biochemistry, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
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24
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Bello-Bello E, López-Arredondo D, Rico-Chambrón TY, Herrera-Estrella L. Conquering compacted soils: uncovering the molecular components of root soil penetration. TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 27:814-827. [PMID: 35525799 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2022.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2022] [Revised: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Global agriculture and food security face paramount challenges due to climate change and land degradation. Human-induced soil compaction severely affects soil fertility, impairing root system development and crop yield. There is a need to design compaction-resilient crops that can thrive in degraded soils and maintain high yields. To address plausible solutions to this challenging scenario, we discuss current knowledge on plant root penetration ability and delineate potential approaches based on root-targeted genetic engineering (RGE) and genomics-assisted breeding (GAB) for developing crops with enhanced root system penetrability (RSP) into compacted soils. Such approaches could lead to crops with improved resilience to climate change and marginal soils, which can help to boost CO2 sequestration and storage in deeper soil strata.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elohim Bello-Bello
- Unidad de Genómica Avanzada/LANGEBIO, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados, Irapuato, México
| | - Damar López-Arredondo
- Institute of Genomics for Crop Abiotic Stress Tolerance, Department of Plant and Soil Science, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA
| | - Thelma Y Rico-Chambrón
- Unidad de Genómica Avanzada/LANGEBIO, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados, Irapuato, México
| | - Luis Herrera-Estrella
- Unidad de Genómica Avanzada/LANGEBIO, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados, Irapuato, México; Institute of Genomics for Crop Abiotic Stress Tolerance, Department of Plant and Soil Science, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA.
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25
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Ethylene inhibits rice root elongation in compacted soil via ABA- and auxin-mediated mechanisms. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2201072119. [PMID: 35858424 PMCID: PMC9335218 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2201072119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Intensive agriculture and changing tillage practices are causing soils to become increasingly compacted. Hard soils cause roots to accumulate the hormone ethylene, triggering reduced root elongation and increased radial swelling. We demonstrate that ethylene regulates these distinct root growth responses using different downstream signals, auxin, and abscisic acid (ABA). Auxin is primarily required to reduce cell elongation during a root compaction response, whereas ABA promotes radial cell expansion. Radial swelling was originally thought to aid root penetration in hard soil, yet rice ABA-deficient mutants disrupted in radial swelling of root tips penetrate compacted soil better than wild-type plants. The combined growth responses to auxin and ABA function to reduce the ability of roots to penetrate compacted soil. Soil compaction represents a major agronomic challenge, inhibiting root elongation and impacting crop yields. Roots use ethylene to sense soil compaction as the restricted air space causes this gaseous signal to accumulate around root tips. Ethylene inhibits root elongation and promotes radial expansion in compacted soil, but its mechanistic basis remains unclear. Here, we report that ethylene promotes abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthesis and cortical cell radial expansion. Rice mutants of ABA biosynthetic genes had attenuated cortical cell radial expansion in compacted soil, leading to better penetration. Soil compaction-induced ethylene also up-regulates the auxin biosynthesis gene OsYUC8. Mutants lacking OsYUC8 are better able to penetrate compacted soil. The auxin influx transporter OsAUX1 is also required to mobilize auxin from the root tip to the elongation zone during a root compaction response. Moreover, osaux1 mutants penetrate compacted soil better than the wild-type roots and do not exhibit cortical cell radial expansion. We conclude that ethylene uses auxin and ABA as downstream signals to modify rice root cell elongation and radial expansion, causing root tips to swell and reducing their ability to penetrate compacted soil.
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26
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Ciampitti IA, Lemaire G. From use efficiency to effective use of nitrogen: A dilemma for maize breeding improvement. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 826:154125. [PMID: 35219655 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Revised: 02/05/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Maize (Zea mays L.) breeding is continuously moving forward yield gains for many fields crops, increasing dependency to technology such as high input seed costs and high use of nitrogen (N) fertilizers. For this crop, breeding improvement led to concomitantly enhancing N recovery and uptake but following a similar ratio relative to the plant biomass (W) and nitrogen nutrition index (NNI, as actual to critical N concentration) levels. The aim of this review is to provides new insights related to the true gains of N use efficiency (NUE) for maize over time and to propose new direction to target improvement on the effective use of N. Thus, the increase in fertilizer N for modern hybrids to attain greater yields lead to a greater dependency to N fertilization and potentially increasing the overall environmental risks for N losses associated to this practice. Contrarily to the improvement based on NUE, improving the intrinsic N uptake capacity (more N uptake per unit of biomass) is needed to maximize yield and the effective use of N. These results highlight that crop breeding should refocus to directly target an increase on the effective use of N, increasing the efficiency on using environmental resources while seeking for improving attainable yields. SYNOPSIS: Enhancing resilience of our production systems is critical for food security goals. This review highlights the need of investment on directly targeting improvement of the effective use of N not only to improve efficiency but to reduce the dependency to fertilization and environmental risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ignacio A Ciampitti
- Department of Agronomy, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, United States.
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27
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Strock CF, Schneider HM, Lynch JP. Anatomics: High-throughput phenotyping of plant anatomy. TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 27:520-523. [PMID: 35307268 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2022.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Revised: 02/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Anatomics is a novel phenotyping strategy focused on high-throughput imaging and quantification of plant anatomy from field-grown plants. Here we highlight its potential applications for genetic and physiological analysis of plant anatomical phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hannah M Schneider
- Centre for Crop Systems Analysis, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jonathan P Lynch
- Department of Plant Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, USA.
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28
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Rasool F, Khan MR, Schneider M, Uzair M, Aqeel M, Ajmal W, Léon J, Naz AA. Transcriptome unveiled the gene expression patterns of root architecture in drought-tolerant and sensitive wheat genotypes. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY : PPB 2022; 178:20-30. [PMID: 35247694 DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2022.02.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Revised: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Drought is a big challenge for agricultural production. Root attributes are the important target traits for breeding high-yielding sustainable wheat varieties against ever changing climatic conditions. However, the transcriptomic of wheat concerning root architecture remained obscure. Here, we explored RNA-Seq based transcriptome to dissect putative genes involved in root system variations in naturally occurring six genotypes (drought-tolerant and sensitive) of wheat. Global RNA-Seq based root transcriptome analysis revealed single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) variations and differentially expressed genes. Putative 56 SNPs were identified related to 15 genes involved in root architecture. Enrichment of these genes using GO terms demonstrated that differentially expressed genes (DEGs) are divided into sub-categories implicated in molecular functions, cellular components and biological processes. The KEGG analysis of DEGs in each comparison of genotype include metabolic, biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, microbial metabolism in diverse environments and biosynthesis of antibiotics. A deeper insight into DEGs unveiled various pathways involved in drought response and positive gravitropism. These genes belong to various transcription factor families such as DOF, C3H, MYB, and NAC involved in root developmental and stress-related pathways. Local White and UZ-11-CWA-8, which are drought-tolerant genotypes, harbor over-representation of most of DEGs or transcription factors. Notably, a microtubule-associated protein MAPRE1 belonging to RP/EB family recruited in positive gravitropism was enriched. Real-time PCR analysis revealed expression of MAPRE1 and PAL genes is consistent with RNA-seq data. The presented data and genetic resources seem valuable for providing genes involved in the root system architecture of drought-tolerant and susceptible genotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatima Rasool
- Genome Editing & Sequencing Lab, National Centre for Bioinformatics, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, 45320, Pakistan; National Institute for Genomics and Advanced Biotechnology, National Agricultural Research Centre, Park Road, Islamabad, 45500, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Ramzan Khan
- Genome Editing & Sequencing Lab, National Centre for Bioinformatics, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, 45320, Pakistan; National Institute for Genomics and Advanced Biotechnology, National Agricultural Research Centre, Park Road, Islamabad, 45500, Pakistan.
| | - Michael Schneider
- Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES), Department of Crop Genetics and Biotechnology, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms University of Bonn, Germany
| | - Muhammad Uzair
- National Institute for Genomics and Advanced Biotechnology, National Agricultural Research Centre, Park Road, Islamabad, 45500, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Aqeel
- National Institute for Genomics and Advanced Biotechnology, National Agricultural Research Centre, Park Road, Islamabad, 45500, Pakistan
| | - Wajya Ajmal
- National Institute for Genomics and Advanced Biotechnology, National Agricultural Research Centre, Park Road, Islamabad, 45500, Pakistan
| | - Jens Léon
- Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES), Department of Crop Genetics and Biotechnology, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms University of Bonn, Germany
| | - Ali Ahmed Naz
- Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES), Department of Crop Genetics and Biotechnology, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms University of Bonn, Germany.
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29
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Abstract
Despite their importance in supplying nutrients, root traits related to maize domestication are scarce. We used laser ablation tomography to characterize the root architecture and anatomy of 5,300-y-old maize specimens recovered from San Marcos (Tehuacán, Mexico), revealing exquisite preservation of their cellular organization. Outer cortical cells contained thick and lignified walls typical of extant maize adapted to hard soils. By contrast, the absence of seminal roots is only found in the maize ancestor, teosinte. Two genes important for seminal root development had mutations that could relate to their absence. Our results indicate that some traits related to drought adaptation were not fully present in the earliest maize from Tehuacán, providing clues to conditions prevailing during early maize cultivation. Efforts to understand the phenotypic transition that gave rise to maize from teosinte have mainly focused on the analysis of aerial organs, with little insights into possible domestication traits affecting the root system. Archeological excavations in San Marcos cave (Tehuacán, Mexico) yielded two well-preserved 5,300 to 4,970 calibrated y B.P. specimens (SM3 and SM11) corresponding to root stalks composed of at least five nodes with multiple nodal roots and, in case, a complete embryonic root system. To characterize in detail their architecture and anatomy, we used laser ablation tomography to reconstruct a three-dimensional segment of their nodal roots and a scutellar node, revealing exquisite preservation of the inner tissue and cell organization and providing reliable morphometric parameters for cellular characteristics of the stele and cortex. Whereas SM3 showed multiple cortical sclerenchyma typical of extant maize, the scutellar node of the SM11 embryonic root system completely lacked seminal roots, an attribute found in extant teosinte and in two specific maize mutants: root with undetectable meristem1 (rum1) and rootless concerning crown and seminal roots (rtcs). Ancient DNA sequences of SM10—a third San Marcos specimen of equivalent age to SM3 and SM11—revealed the presence of mutations in the transcribed sequence of both genes, offering the possibility for some of these mutations to be involved in the lack of seminal roots of the ancient specimens. Our results indicate that the root system of the earliest maize from Tehuacán resembled teosinte in traits important for maize drought adaptation.
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30
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Galindo-Castañeda T, Lynch JP, Six J, Hartmann M. Improving Soil Resource Uptake by Plants Through Capitalizing on Synergies Between Root Architecture and Anatomy and Root-Associated Microorganisms. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:827369. [PMID: 35356114 PMCID: PMC8959776 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.827369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Root architectural and anatomical phenotypes are highly diverse. Specific root phenotypes can be associated with better plant growth under low nutrient and water availability. Therefore, root ideotypes have been proposed as breeding targets for more stress-resilient and resource-efficient crops. For example, root phenotypes that correspond to the Topsoil Foraging ideotype are associated with better plant growth under suboptimal phosphorus availability, and root phenotypes that correspond to the Steep, Cheap and Deep ideotype are linked to better performance under suboptimal availability of nitrogen and water. We propose that natural variation in root phenotypes translates into a diversity of different niches for microbial associations in the rhizosphere, rhizoplane and root cortex, and that microbial traits could have synergistic effects with the beneficial effect of specific root phenotypes. Oxygen and water content, carbon rhizodeposition, nutrient availability, and root surface area are all factors that are modified by root anatomy and architecture and determine the structure and function of the associated microbial communities. Recent research results indicate that root characteristics that may modify microbial communities associated with maize include aerenchyma, rooting angle, root hairs, and lateral root branching density. Therefore, the selection of root phenotypes linked to better plant growth under specific edaphic conditions should be accompanied by investigating and selecting microbial partners better adapted to each set of conditions created by the corresponding root phenotype. Microbial traits such as nitrogen transformation, phosphorus solubilization, and water retention could have synergistic effects when correctly matched with promising plant root ideotypes for improved nutrient and water capture. We propose that elucidation of the interactive effects of root phenotypes and microbial functions on plant nutrient and water uptake offers new opportunities to increase crop yields and agroecosystem sustainability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tania Galindo-Castañeda
- Sustainable Agroecosystems, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Environmental System Science, ETH Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jonathan P. Lynch
- Department of Plant Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
| | - Johan Six
- Sustainable Agroecosystems, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Environmental System Science, ETH Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Martin Hartmann
- Sustainable Agroecosystems, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Environmental System Science, ETH Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
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31
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Amtmann A, Bennett MJ, Henry A. Root phenotypes for the future. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2022; 45:595-601. [PMID: 35092061 DOI: 10.1111/pce.14269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Amtmann
- Institute of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Malcolm J Bennett
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Leicestershire, UK
| | - Amelia Henry
- Plant Breeding Innovations Platform, International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines
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32
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Lynch JP, Mooney SJ, Strock CF, Schneider HM. Future roots for future soils. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2022; 45:620-636. [PMID: 34725839 PMCID: PMC9299599 DOI: 10.1111/pce.14213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Revised: 09/05/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Mechanical impedance constrains root growth in most soils. Crop cultivation changed the impedance characteristics of native soils, through topsoil erosion, loss of organic matter, disruption of soil structure and loss of biopores. Increasing adoption of Conservation Agriculture in high-input agroecosystems is returning cultivated soils to the soil impedance characteristics of native soils, but in the low-input agroecosystems characteristic of developing nations, ongoing soil degradation is generating more challenging environments for root growth. We propose that root phenotypes have evolved to adapt to the altered impedance characteristics of cultivated soil during crop domestication. The diverging trajectories of soils under Conservation Agriculture and low-input agroecosystems have implications for strategies to develop crops to meet global needs under climate change. We present several root ideotypes as breeding targets under the impedance regimes of both high-input and low-input agroecosystems, as well as a set of root phenotypes that should be useful in both scenarios. We argue that a 'whole plant in whole soil' perspective will be useful in guiding the development of future crops for future soils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan P. Lynch
- Department of Plant ScienceThe Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Sacha J. Mooney
- School of BiosciencesUniversity of NottinghamLeicestershireUK
| | - Christopher F. Strock
- Department of Plant ScienceThe Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Hannah M. Schneider
- Centre for Crop Systems AnalysisWageningen University & ResearchWageningenThe Netherlands
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33
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Vanhees DJ, Schneider HM, Sidhu JS, Loades KW, Bengough AG, Bennett MJ, Pandey BK, Brown KM, Mooney SJ, Lynch JP. Soil penetration by maize roots is negatively related to ethylene-induced thickening. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2022; 45:789-804. [PMID: 34453329 PMCID: PMC9291135 DOI: 10.1111/pce.14175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2021] [Revised: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/22/2021] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Radial expansion is a classic response of roots to a mechanical impedance that has generally been assumed to aid penetration. We analysed the response of maize nodal roots to impedance to test the hypothesis that radial expansion is not related to the ability of roots to cross a compacted soil layer. Genotypes varied in their ability to cross the compacted layer, and those with a steeper approach to the compacted layer or less radial expansion in the compacted layer were more likely to cross the layer and achieve greater depth. Root radial expansion was due to cortical cell size expansion, while cortical cell file number remained constant. Genotypes and nodal root classes that exhibited radial expansion in the compacted soil layer generally also thickened in response to exogenous ethylene in hydroponic culture, that is, radial expansion in response to ethylene was correlated with the thickening response to impedance in soil. We propose that ethylene insensitive roots, that is, those that do not thicken and can overcome impedance, have a competitive advantage under mechanically impeded conditions as they can maintain their elongation rates. We suggest that prolonged exposure to ethylene could function as a stop signal for axial root growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorien J. Vanhees
- School of BiosciencesUniversity of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington CampusLeicestershireUK
- The James Hutton InstituteInvergowrieUK
| | - Hannah M. Schneider
- Department of Plant ScienceThe Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPennsylvaniaUSA
- Centre for Crop Systems AnalysisWageningen University & ResearchWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Jagdeep Singh Sidhu
- Department of Plant ScienceThe Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPennsylvaniaUSA
| | | | - A. Glyn Bengough
- The James Hutton InstituteInvergowrieUK
- School of Science and EngineeringThe University of DundeeDundeeUK
| | - Malcolm J. Bennett
- School of BiosciencesUniversity of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington CampusLeicestershireUK
| | - Bipin K. Pandey
- School of BiosciencesUniversity of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington CampusLeicestershireUK
| | - Kathleen M. Brown
- Department of Plant ScienceThe Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Sacha J. Mooney
- School of BiosciencesUniversity of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington CampusLeicestershireUK
| | - Jonathan P. Lynch
- School of BiosciencesUniversity of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington CampusLeicestershireUK
- Department of Plant ScienceThe Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPennsylvaniaUSA
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34
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Strock CF, Rangarajan H, Black CK, Schäfer ED, Lynch JP. Theoretical evidence that root penetration ability interacts with soil compaction regimes to affect nitrate capture. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2022; 129:315-330. [PMID: 34850823 PMCID: PMC8835659 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcab144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/26/2021] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Although root penetration of strong soils has been intensively studied at the scale of individual root axes, interactions between soil physical properties and soil foraging by whole plants are less clear. Here we investigate how variation in the penetration ability of distinct root classes and bulk density profiles common to real-world soils interact to affect soil foraging strategies. METHODS We utilize the functional-structural plant model 'OpenSimRoot' to simulate the growth of maize (Zea mays) root systems with variable penetration ability of axial and lateral roots in soils with (1) uniform bulk density, (2) plow pans and (3) increasing bulk density with depth. We also modify the availability and leaching of nitrate to uncover reciprocal interactions between these factors and the capture of mobile resources. KEY RESULTS Soils with plow pans and bulk density gradients affected overall size, distribution and carbon costs of the root system. Soils with high bulk density at depth impeded rooting depth and reduced leaching of nitrate, thereby improving the coincidence of nitrogen and root length. While increasing penetration ability of either axial or lateral root classes produced root systems of comparable net length, improved penetration of axial roots increased allocation of root length in deeper soil, thereby amplifying N acquisition and shoot biomass. Although enhanced penetration ability of both root classes was associated with greater root system carbon costs, the benefit to plant fitness from improved soil exploration and resource capture offset these. CONCLUSIONS While lateral roots comprise the bulk of root length, axial roots function as a scaffold determining the distribution of these laterals. In soils with high soil strength and leaching, root systems with enhanced penetration ability of axial roots have greater distribution of root length at depth, thereby improving capture of mobile resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher F Strock
- Department of Plant Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Harini Rangarajan
- Department of Plant Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Christopher K Black
- Department of Plant Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Ernst D Schäfer
- Department of Plant Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Jonathan P Lynch
- Department of Plant Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- For correspondence. E-mail
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35
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Gojon A, Nussaume L, Luu DT, Murchie EH, Baekelandt A, Rodrigues Saltenis VL, Cohan J, Desnos T, Inzé D, Ferguson JN, Guiderdonni E, Krapp A, Klein Lankhorst R, Maurel C, Rouached H, Parry MAJ, Pribil M, Scharff LB, Nacry P. Approaches and determinants to sustainably improve crop production. Food Energy Secur 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/fes3.369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Alain Gojon
- BPMP Institut Agro Univ Montpellier INRAE CNRS Montpellier France
| | - Laurent Nussaume
- UMR7265 Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement des Plantes Service de Biologie Végétale et de Microbiologie Environnementales Institut de Biologie Environnementale et Biotechnologie CNRS‐CEA‐Université Aix‐Marseille Saint‐Paul‐lez‐Durance France
| | - Doan T. Luu
- BPMP Institut Agro Univ Montpellier INRAE CNRS Montpellier France
| | - Erik H. Murchie
- School of Biosciences University of Nottingham Loughborough UK
| | - Alexandra Baekelandt
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics Ghent University Ghent Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology Ghent Belgium
| | | | | | - Thierry Desnos
- UMR7265 Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement des Plantes Service de Biologie Végétale et de Microbiologie Environnementales Institut de Biologie Environnementale et Biotechnologie CNRS‐CEA‐Université Aix‐Marseille Saint‐Paul‐lez‐Durance France
| | - Dirk Inzé
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics Ghent University Ghent Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology Ghent Belgium
| | - John N. Ferguson
- School of Biosciences University of Nottingham Loughborough UK
- Department of Plant Sciences University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
| | | | - Anne Krapp
- Institut Jean‐Pierre Bourgin INRAE AgroParisTech Université Paris‐Saclay Versailles France
| | - René Klein Lankhorst
- Wageningen Plant Research Wageningen University & Research Wageningen The Netherlands
| | | | - Hatem Rouached
- BPMP Institut Agro Univ Montpellier INRAE CNRS Montpellier France
- Department of Plant, Soil, and Microbial Sciences Michigan State University East Lansing Michigan USA
| | | | - Mathias Pribil
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences Copenhagen Plant Science Centre University of Copenhagen Frederiksberg Denmark
| | - Lars B. Scharff
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences Copenhagen Plant Science Centre University of Copenhagen Frederiksberg Denmark
| | - Philippe Nacry
- BPMP Institut Agro Univ Montpellier INRAE CNRS Montpellier France
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36
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Hazman MY, Kabil FF. Maize root responses to drought stress depend on root class and axial position. JOURNAL OF PLANT RESEARCH 2022; 135:105-120. [PMID: 34562205 DOI: 10.1007/s10265-021-01348-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
In this study we tested the hypotheses that root classes would exhibit distinctive anatomical and architectural responses to drought stress, and that those responses would vary along the root axes. The root systems of four maize (Zea mays L.) sweet corn genotypes designated SC1, SC2, SC3 and SC4 were phenotyped under well-watered and drought treatments in greenhouse mesocosms, permitting increasing stratification of moisture availability as the drought progressed. Anatomical and architectural responses to drought were evaluated for each root class. Lignin distribution was assessed by image processing of UV-illuminated root cross-sections acquired by laser ablation tomography. The two cultivars with less biomass reduction under drought, SC3 and SC4, substantially enhanced lateral root development along the apical segments of axial roots when plants were grown with drought stress. These segments grew into the deeper part of the mesocosm where more moisture was available. Apical segments of the axial and large lateral roots from drought-stressed plants were thicker and had greater theoretical axial water conductance than basal segments, especially in SC3 and SC4. Basal segments of crown roots of SC3 and SC4 showed increased lignification of the stele under drought. Root anatomical and architectural responses to drought are complex and vary among cultivars and root classes, and along root axes. Drought-induced proliferation of lateral roots on apical segments of axial roots would be expected to enhance deep water acquisition, while lignification of axial roots could help preserve axial water transport.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed Y Hazman
- Agricultural Genetic Engineering Research Institute (AGERI), Agricultural Research Centre, 9 Gamma St., Giza, 12619, Egypt.
| | - Farida F Kabil
- Vegetable Crops Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Gamma St., Giza, 12613, Egypt
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37
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Lynch JP. Harnessing root architecture to address global challenges. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2022; 109:415-431. [PMID: 34724260 PMCID: PMC9299910 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.15560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Revised: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Root architecture can be targeted in breeding programs to develop crops with better capture of water and nutrients. In rich nations, such crops would reduce production costs and environmental pollution and, in developing nations, they would improve food security and economic development. Crops with deeper roots would have better climate resilience while also sequestering atmospheric CO2 . Deeper rooting, which improves water and N capture, is facilitated by steeper root growth angles, fewer axial roots, reduced lateral branching, and anatomical phenotypes that reduce the metabolic cost of root tissue. Mechanical impedance, hypoxia, and Al toxicity are constraints to subsoil exploration. To improve topsoil foraging for P, K, and other shallow resources, shallower root growth angles, more axial roots, and greater lateral branching are beneficial, as are metabolically cheap roots. In high-input systems, parsimonious root phenotypes that focus on water capture may be advantageous. The growing prevalence of Conservation Agriculture is shifting the mechanical impedance characteristics of cultivated soils in ways that may favor plastic root phenotypes capable of exploiting low resistance pathways to the subsoil. Root ideotypes for many low-input systems would not be optimized for any one function, but would be resilient against an array of biotic and abiotic challenges. Root hairs, reduced metabolic cost, and developmental regulation of plasticity may be useful in all environments. The fitness landscape of integrated root phenotypes is large and complex, and hence will benefit from in silico tools. Understanding and harnessing root architecture for crop improvement is a transdisciplinary opportunity to address global challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan P. Lynch
- Department of Plant ScienceThe Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPA16802USA
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38
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Burridge JD, Grondin A, Vadez V. Optimizing Crop Water Use for Drought and Climate Change Adaptation Requires a Multi-Scale Approach. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:824720. [PMID: 35574091 PMCID: PMC9100818 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.824720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Selection criteria that co-optimize water use efficiency and yield are needed to promote plant productivity in increasingly challenging and variable drought scenarios, particularly dryland cereals in the semi-arid tropics. Optimizing water use efficiency and yield fundamentally involves transpiration dynamics, where restriction of maximum transpiration rate helps to avoid early crop failure, while maximizing grain filling. Transpiration restriction can be regulated by multiple mechanisms and involves cross-organ coordination. This coordination involves complex feedbacks and feedforwards over time scales ranging from minutes to weeks, and from spatial scales ranging from cell membrane to crop canopy. Aquaporins have direct effect but various compensation and coordination pathways involve phenology, relative root and shoot growth, shoot architecture, root length distribution profile, as well as other architectural and anatomical aspects of plant form and function. We propose gravimetric phenotyping as an integrative, cross-scale solution to understand the dynamic, interwoven, and context-dependent coordination of transpiration regulation. The most fruitful breeding strategy is likely to be that which maintains focus on the phene of interest, namely, daily and season level transpiration dynamics. This direct selection approach is more precise than yield-based selection but sufficiently integrative to capture attenuating and complementary factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- James D. Burridge
- DIADE Group, Cereal Root Systems, Institute de Recherche pour le Développement/Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
- *Correspondence: James D. Burridge,
| | - Alexandre Grondin
- DIADE Group, Cereal Root Systems, Institute de Recherche pour le Développement/Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
- Adaptation des Plantes et Microorganismes Associés aux Stress Environnementaux, Laboratoire Mixte International, Dakar, Senegal
- Centre d’Étude Régional pour l’Amélioration de l’Adaptation à la Sécheresse, Thiès, Senegal
| | - Vincent Vadez
- DIADE Group, Cereal Root Systems, Institute de Recherche pour le Développement/Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
- Adaptation des Plantes et Microorganismes Associés aux Stress Environnementaux, Laboratoire Mixte International, Dakar, Senegal
- Centre d’Étude Régional pour l’Amélioration de l’Adaptation à la Sécheresse, Thiès, Senegal
- International Crops Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Patancheru, India
- Vincent Vadez,
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39
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Kramer EM, Masle J, Robinson S, Topp CN. Accumulation of the gaseous hormone ethylene helps roots sense compact soil. Fac Rev 2022; 11:20. [PMID: 35979143 PMCID: PMC9354732 DOI: 10.12703/r-01-0000014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Soil compaction, in which soil grains are pressed together leaving less pore space for air and water, is a persistent problem in mechanized agriculture. Most plant roots fail to penetrate soil if it is too dense. One might assume that they are physically unable to penetrate the compact soil. However, new research demonstrates a more complex mechanism that requires the build-up of the volatile plant hormone ethylene in the rhizosphere1. Ethylene itself can arrest growth and, in compact soil, it is present in higher concentrations near roots due to its reduced ability to diffuse. Roots that lack the ethylene response pathway grow better through compact soil, demonstrating that it is physically possible to do so. The work suggests new levers for crop improvement in increasingly degraded soils.
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40
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Karlova R, Boer D, Hayes S, Testerink C. Root plasticity under abiotic stress. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 187:1057-1070. [PMID: 34734279 PMCID: PMC8566202 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiab392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/25/2021] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Abiotic stresses increasingly threaten existing ecological and agricultural systems across the globe. Plant roots perceive these stresses in the soil and adapt their architecture accordingly. This review provides insights into recent discoveries showing the importance of root system architecture (RSA) and plasticity for the survival and development of plants under heat, cold, drought, salt, and flooding stress. In addition, we review the molecular regulation and hormonal pathways involved in controlling RSA plasticity, main root growth, branching and lateral root growth, root hair development, and formation of adventitious roots. Several stresses affect root anatomy by causing aerenchyma formation, lignin and suberin deposition, and Casparian strip modulation. Roots can also actively grow toward favorable soil conditions and avoid environments detrimental to their development. Recent advances in understanding the cellular mechanisms behind these different root tropisms are discussed. Understanding root plasticity will be instrumental for the development of crops that are resilient in the face of abiotic stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rumyana Karlova
- Laboratory of Plant Physiology, Wageningen University, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Damian Boer
- Laboratory of Plant Physiology, Wageningen University, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Scott Hayes
- Laboratory of Plant Physiology, Wageningen University, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Christa Testerink
- Laboratory of Plant Physiology, Wageningen University, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Author for communication:
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41
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Xia M, Valverde-Barrantes OJ, Suseela V, Blackwood CB, Tharayil N. Coordination between compound-specific chemistry and morphology in plant roots aligns with ancestral mycorrhizal association in woody angiosperms. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2021; 232:1259-1271. [PMID: 34137048 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Recent studies on fine root functional traits proposed a root economics hypothesis where adaptations associated with mycorrhizal dependency strongly influence the organization of root traits, forming a dominant axis of trait covariation unique to roots. This conclusion, however, is based on tradeoffs of a few widely studied root traits. It is unknown how other functional traits fit into this mycorrhizal-collaboration gradient. Here, we provide a significant extension to the field of root ecology by examining how fine root secondary compounds coordinate with other root traits. We analyzed a dataset integrating compound-specific chemistry, morphology and anatomy of fine roots and leaves from 34 temperate tree species spanning major angiosperm lineages. Our data uncovered previously undocumented coordination where root chemistry, morphology and anatomy covary with each other. This coordination, aligned with mycorrhizal colonization, reflects tradeoffs between chemical protection and mycorrhizal dependency, and provides mechanistic support for the mycorrhizal-collaboration gradient. We also found remarkable phylogenetic structuring in root chemistry. These patterns were not mirrored by leaves. Furthermore, chemical protection was largely decoupled from the leaf economics spectrum. Our results unveil broad organization of root chemistry, demonstrate unique belowground adaptions, and suggest that root strategies and phylogeny could impact biogeochemical cycles through their links with root chemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengxue Xia
- Department of Plant & Environmental Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, 29634, USA
| | - Oscar J Valverde-Barrantes
- Department of Biological Sciences, International Center for Tropical Biodiversity, Florida International University, Miami, FL, 33199, USA
| | - Vidya Suseela
- Department of Plant & Environmental Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, 29634, USA
| | | | - Nishanth Tharayil
- Department of Plant & Environmental Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, 29634, USA
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42
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Smiley RW. Root-Lesion Nematodes Affecting Dryland Cereals in the Semiarid Pacific Northwest U.S.A. PLANT DISEASE 2021; 105:3324-3343. [PMID: 34236212 DOI: 10.1094/pdis-04-21-0883-fe] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Root-lesion nematodes (Pratylenchus spp.) are parasites that invade and deteriorate roots, thereby reducing the efficiency of water and nutrient uptake. Pratylenchus neglectus and P. thornei are the two species that are most prevalent and cause reduced yields of rainfed wheat and barley in semiarid regions of the Pacific Northwest. They are particularly damaging where wheat and barley are produced without irrigation in areas receiving less than 450 mm (18 in.) of precipitation annually. This review is focused on the biology and management of P. neglectus and P. thornei in semiarid rainfed agriculture. Characteristics of climates, soils, and crop production systems are described as a preface to constraints placed upon management options. Discussions include the economic importance, host ranges, and protocols for sampling and species identification. Discussion of disease management options include crop rotation, genetic resistance and tolerance, planting date, trap and biofumigant crops, crop nutrition, chemical and biological nematicides, and tillage. Predictions for rainfed agriculture in a period of changing climate are presented, as are suggestions for important areas of research including crop genetics, nematode testing, and communication of results, Pratylenchus biology, mechanisms of resistance, the phytobiome, and closing the "yield gap" between actual and attainable yields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard W Smiley
- Emeritus Professor of Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, Columbia Basin Agricultural Research Center, Pendleton, OR, U.S.A
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43
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Messina C, McDonald D, Poffenbarger H, Clark R, Salinas A, Fang Y, Gho C, Tang T, Graham G, Hammer GL, Cooper M. Reproductive resilience but not root architecture underpins yield improvement under drought in maize. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2021; 72:5235-5245. [PMID: 34037765 PMCID: PMC8272564 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erab231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Because plants capture water and nutrients through roots, it was proposed that changes in root systems architecture (RSA) might underpin the 3-fold increase in maize (Zea mays L.) grain yield over the last century. Here we show that both RSA and yield have changed with decades of maize breeding, but not the crop water uptake. Results from X-ray phenotyping in controlled environments showed that single cross (SX) hybrids have smaller root systems than double cross (DX) hybrids for root diameters between 2465 µm and 181µm (P<0.05). Soil water extraction measured under field conditions ranged between 2.6 mm d-1 and 2.9 mm d-1 but were not significantly different between SX and DX hybrids. Yield and yield components were higher for SX than DX hybrids across densities and irrigation (P<0.001). Taken together, the results suggest that changes in RSA were not the cause of increased water uptake but an adaptation to high-density stands used in modern agriculture. This adaptation may have contributed to shift in resource allocation to the ear and indirectly improved reproductive resilience. Advances in root physiology and phenotyping can create opportunities to maintain long-term genetic gain in maize, but a shift from ideotype to crop and production system thinking will be required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Messina
- Corteva Agriscience, 7250 NW 62nd Ave, Johnston, IA 50310, USA
| | - Dan McDonald
- Phenotype Screening Corporation, 4028 Papermill Road, Knoxville, TN 37909, USA
| | | | - Randy Clark
- Corteva Agriscience, 7250 NW 62nd Ave, Johnston, IA 50310, USA
| | - Andrea Salinas
- Corteva Agriscience, 7250 NW 62nd Ave, Johnston, IA 50310, USA
| | - Yinan Fang
- Corteva Agriscience, 7250 NW 62nd Ave, Johnston, IA 50310, USA
| | - Carla Gho
- Corteva Agriscience, 7250 NW 62nd Ave, Johnston, IA 50310, USA
| | - Tom Tang
- Corteva Agriscience, 7250 NW 62nd Ave, Johnston, IA 50310, USA
| | - Geoff Graham
- Corteva Agriscience, 7250 NW 62nd Ave, Johnston, IA 50310, USA
| | - Graeme L Hammer
- The University of Queensland, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, Centre for Crop Science, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Mark Cooper
- The University of Queensland, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, Centre for Crop Science, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
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44
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Novel technologies for emission reduction complement conservation agriculture to achieve negative emissions from row-crop production. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2022666118. [PMID: 34155124 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2022666118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Plants remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through photosynthesis. Because agriculture's productivity is based on this process, a combination of technologies to reduce emissions and enhance soil carbon storage can allow this sector to achieve net negative emissions while maintaining high productivity. Unfortunately, current row-crop agricultural practice generates about 5% of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States and European Union. To reduce these emissions, significant effort has been focused on changing farm management practices to maximize soil carbon. In contrast, the potential to reduce emissions has largely been neglected. Through a combination of innovations in digital agriculture, crop and microbial genetics, and electrification, we estimate that a 71% (1,744 kg CO2e/ha) reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from row crop agriculture is possible within the next 15 y. Importantly, emission reduction can lower the barrier to broad adoption by proceeding through multiple stages with meaningful improvements that gradually facilitate the transition to net negative practices. Emerging voluntary and regulatory ecosystems services markets will incentivize progress along this transition pathway and guide public and private investments toward technology development. In the difficult quest for net negative emissions, all tools, including emission reduction and soil carbon storage, must be developed to allow agriculture to maintain its critical societal function of provisioning society while, at the same time, generating environmental benefits.
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45
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Schneider HM, Strock CF, Hanlon MT, Vanhees DJ, Perkins AC, Ajmera IB, Sidhu JS, Mooney SJ, Brown KM, Lynch JP. Multiseriate cortical sclerenchyma enhance root penetration in compacted soils. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2012087118. [PMID: 33536333 PMCID: PMC8017984 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2012087118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Mechanical impedance limits soil exploration and resource capture by plant roots. We examine the role of root anatomy in regulating plant adaptation to mechanical impedance and identify a root anatomical phene in maize (Zea mays) and wheat (Triticum aestivum) associated with penetration of hard soil: Multiseriate cortical sclerenchyma (MCS). We characterize this trait and evaluate the utility of MCS for root penetration in compacted soils. Roots with MCS had a greater cell wall-to-lumen ratio and a distinct UV emission spectrum in outer cortical cells. Genome-wide association mapping revealed that MCS is heritable and genetically controlled. We identified a candidate gene associated with MCS. Across all root classes and nodal positions, maize genotypes with MCS had 13% greater root lignin concentration compared to genotypes without MCS. Genotypes without MCS formed MCS upon exogenous ethylene exposure. Genotypes with MCS had greater lignin concentration and bending strength at the root tip. In controlled environments, MCS in maize and wheat was associated improved root tensile strength and increased penetration ability in compacted soils. Maize genotypes with MCS had root systems with 22% greater depth and 49% greater shoot biomass in compacted soils in the field compared to lines without MCS. Of the lines we assessed, MCS was present in 30 to 50% of modern maize, wheat, and barley cultivars but was absent in teosinte and wild and landrace accessions of wheat and barley. MCS merits investigation as a trait for improving plant performance in maize, wheat, and other grasses under edaphic stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah M Schneider
- Department of Plant Science, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802
| | - Christopher F Strock
- Department of Plant Science, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802
| | - Meredith T Hanlon
- Department of Plant Science, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802
| | - Dorien J Vanhees
- Division of Agricultural and Environment Sciences, School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Leicestershire LE12 5RD, United Kingdom
- The James Hutton Institute, Invergowrie DD2 5DA, United Kingdom
| | - Alden C Perkins
- Department of Plant Science, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802
| | - Ishan B Ajmera
- Department of Plant Science, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802
| | - Jagdeep Singh Sidhu
- Department of Plant Science, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802
| | - Sacha J Mooney
- Division of Agricultural and Environment Sciences, School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Leicestershire LE12 5RD, United Kingdom
- Centre for Plant Integrative Biology, University of Nottingham, Leicestershire LE12 5RD, United Kingdom
| | - Kathleen M Brown
- Department of Plant Science, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802
| | - Jonathan P Lynch
- Department of Plant Science, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802;
- Division of Agricultural and Environment Sciences, School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Leicestershire LE12 5RD, United Kingdom
- Centre for Plant Integrative Biology, University of Nottingham, Leicestershire LE12 5RD, United Kingdom
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