Quantifying the response of wheat (Triticum aestivum L) root system architecture to phosphorus in an Oxisol

• Published in: Plant and soil Vol. 385; no. 1-2; pp. 303 - 310
• Main Authors: Flavel, Richard J, Guppy, Christopher N, Tighe, Matthew K, Watt, Michelle, Young, Iain M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer-Verlag 01.12.2014; Springer; Springer International Publishing; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Agricultural research; Agricultural soils; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Architecture; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Branching; Density; Ecology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General agronomy. Plant production; Life Sciences; Oxisols; Phosphorus; Phosphorus content; phosphorus fertilizers; Physical properties; Physics, chemistry, biochemistry and biology of agricultural and forest soils; Physiological aspects; plant architecture; Plant Physiology; Plant roots; Plant Sciences; Plant-soil relationships; Plants; Regular Article; Root systems; Roots; Seedlings; Soil density; Soil science; Soil Science & Conservation; Soil-plant relationships. Soil fertility; Soil-plant relationships. Soil fertility. Fertilization. Amendments; Soils; Structure, texture, density, mechanical behavior. Heat and gas exchanges; Tomography; Triticum aestivum; Wheat; X-radiation; Tomography; Soil structure; Root architecture; Triticum aestivum; X-rays; Monocotyledones; X ray; Cereal crop; Tropical soil; Gramineae; Angiospermae; C3-Type; Quantitative analysis; Vegetals; Root; Property of soil; Phosphorus; Mineral soils; Oxisols; Electromagnetic wave; Physical properties; Response; Vegetative apparatus; Spermatophyta; Soil plant relation
• DOI: 10.1007/s11104-014-2191-9
• ISSN: 0032-079X

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Despite the recognised importance of root architecture to plant productivity, our ability to easily observe and quantify root responses to stresses in soil at appropriate mechanistic resolution, remains poor. In this study we examine the impact of P bands on root architecture in heterogeneous soil, trialling a rapid non-destructive analysis technique. METHODS: We examined fast (<5 min), high resolution (69 μm voxels) x-ray tomography (μCT) to non-destructively observe and quantify wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) roots in a repacked Oxisol, in 3D, with and without a band of P-enriched soil. RESULTS: We found that wheat roots displayed localised responses (were plastic) and responded with additional root length within the banded P fertiliser. The seedling root systems also altered 3D root architecture in the band by increasing the number and length of branch roots. Branch root angle was not altered by the P band. The spatial precision of the branching response was striking and raises questions concerning the root sensing and/or response mechanisms.