Steep, cheap and deep: an ideotype to optimize water and N acquisition by maize root systems

• Published in: Annals of botany Vol. 112; no. 2; pp. 347 - 357
• Main Author: Lynch, Jonathan P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Oxford University Press 01.07.2013
• Subjects: aerenchyma; Agricultural soils; branching; cold soils; cold tolerance; Corn; genetics; growth & development; Ideotypes; metabolism; Models, Biological; nitrates; Nitrogen; Nitrogen - metabolism; Phosphorus; Plant Roots; Plant Roots - genetics; Plant Roots - growth & development; Plant Roots - metabolism; Plants; Root growth; root hairs; Root systems; rooting; senescence; Soil; Soil depth; Soil resources; space and time; temperature; VIEWPOINT; Water; Water - metabolism; Zea mays; Zea mays - genetics; Zea mays - growth & development; Zea mays - metabolism; Root phenes; ideotype; anatomy; water; nitrogen; architecture

BackgroundA hypothetical ideotype is presented to optimize water and N acquisition by maize root systems. The overall premise is that soil resource acquisition is optimized by the coincidence of root foraging and resource availability in time and space. Since water and nitrate enter deeper soil stra...