A mechanical theory of competition between plant root growth and soil pressure reveals a potential mechanism of root penetration
Root penetration into the soil is essential for plants to access water and nutrients, as well as to mechanically support aboveground structures. This requires a combination of healthy plant growth, adequate soil mechanical properties, and compatible plant–soil interactions. Despite the current knowl...
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Published in | Scientific reports Vol. 13; no. 1; p. 7473 |
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Main Authors | , , , , , , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
London
Nature Publishing Group UK
09.05.2023
Nature Publishing Group Nature Portfolio |
Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | Root penetration into the soil is essential for plants to access water and nutrients, as well as to mechanically support aboveground structures. This requires a combination of healthy plant growth, adequate soil mechanical properties, and compatible plant–soil interactions. Despite the current knowledge of the static rheology driving the interactions at the root–soil interface, few theoretical approaches have attempted to describe root penetration with dynamic rheology. In this work, we experimentally showed that radish roots in contact with soil of specific density during a specific growth stage fail to penetrate the soil. To explore the mechanism of root penetration into the soil, we constructed a theoretical model to explore the relevant conditions amenable to root entry into the soil. The theory indicates that dimensionless parameters such as root growth anisotropy, static root–soil competition, and dynamic root–soil competition are important for root penetration. The consequent theoretical expectations were supported by finite element analysis, and a potential mechanism of root penetration into the soil is discussed. |
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Bibliography: | ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23 |
ISSN: | 2045-2322 2045-2322 |
DOI: | 10.1038/s41598-023-34025-x |