Imaging local soil kinematics during the first days of maize root growth in sand
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Anselmucci F
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8593153 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Similar Datasets
Project description:Plants are thought to be able to regulate local root growth according to its overall nutrient status as well as nutrient contents in a local substrate patch. Therefore, root plastic responses to environmental changes are probably co-determined by local responses of root modules and systematic control of the whole plant. Recent studies showed that the contrast in nutrient availability between different patches could significantly influence the growth and death of local roots. In this study, we further explored, beside nutrient contrast, whether root growth and death in a local patch are also affected by relative root quantity in the patch. We conducted a split-root experiment with different splitting ratios of roots of Canada goldenrod (Solidago canadensis) individuals, as well as high- (5× Hoagland solution versus water) or low- (1× Hoagland solution versus water) contrast nutrient conditions for the split roots. The results showed that root growth decreased in nutrient-rich patches but increased in nutrient-poor patches when more roots co-occurred in the same patches, irrespective of nutrient contrast condition. Root mortality depended on contrasts in both root quantity and nutrients: in the high-nutrient-contrast condition, it increased in nutrient-rich patches but decreased in nutrient-poor patches with increasing root proportion; while in the low-nutrient-contrast condition, it showed the opposite trend. These results demonstrated that root growth and death dynamics were affected by the contrast in both nutrient availability and root quantity between patches. Our study provided ecological evidence that local root growth and death are mediated by both the responses of root modules to a nutrient patch and the whole-plant nutrient status, suggesting that future work investigating root production and turnover should take into account the degree of heterogeneity in nutrient and root distribution.
| S-EPMC6158519 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Larger, and deeper, root systems of new maize varieties, compared to older varieties, are thought to have enabled improved acquisition of soil resources and, consequently, greater grain yields. To compare the spatial distributions of the root systems of new and old maize varieties and their relationships with spatial variations in soil concentrations of available nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K), two years of field experiments were performed using six Chinese maize varieties released in different eras. Vertical distributions of roots, and available N, P and K in the 0-60 cm soil profile were determined in excavated soil monoliths at silking and maturity. The results demonstrated that new maize varieties had larger root dry weight, higher grain yield and greater nutrient accumulation than older varieties. All varieties had similar total root length and vertical root distribution at silking, but newer varieties maintained greater total root length and had more roots in the 30-60 cm soil layers at maturity. The spatial variation of soil mineral N (Nmin) in each soil horizon was larger than that of Olsen-P and ammonium-acetate-extractable K, and was inversely correlated with root length density (RLD), especially in the 0-20 cm soil layer. It was concluded that greater acquisition of mineral nutrients and higher yields of newer varieties were associated with greater total root length at maturity. The negative relationship between RLD and soil Nmin at harvest for all varieties suggests the importance of the spatial distribution of the root system for N uptake by maize.
| S-EPMC4370465 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundAluminum (Al) toxicity is one of the most important yield-limiting factors of many crops worldwide. The primary symptom of Al toxicity syndrome is the inhibition of root growth leading to poor water and nutrient absorption. Al tolerance has been extensively studied using hydroponic experiments. However, unlike soil conditions, this method does not address all of the components that are necessary for proper root growth and development. In the present study, we grew two maize genotypes with contrasting tolerance to Al in soil containing toxic levels of Al and then compared their transcriptomic responses.ResultsWhen grown in acid soil containing toxic levels of Al, the Al-sensitive genotype (S1587-17) showed greater root growth inhibition, more Al accumulation and more callose deposition in root tips than did the tolerant genotype (Cat100-6). Transcriptome profiling showed a higher number of genes differentially expressed in S1587-17 grown in acid soil, probably due to secondary effects of Al toxicity. Genes involved in the biosynthesis of organic acids, which are frequently associated with an Al tolerance response, were not differentially regulated in both genotypes after acid soil exposure. However, genes related to the biosynthesis of auxin, ethylene and lignin were up-regulated in the Al-sensitive genotype, indicating that these pathways might be associated with root growth inhibition. By comparing the two maize lines, we were able to discover genes up-regulated only in the Al-tolerant line that also presented higher absolute levels than those observed in the Al-sensitive line. These genes encoded a lipase hydrolase, a retinol dehydrogenase, a glycine-rich protein, a member of the WRKY transcriptional family and two unknown proteins.ConclusionsThis work provides the first characterization of the physiological and transcriptional responses of maize roots when grown in acid soil containing toxic levels of Al. The transcriptome profiles highlighted several pathways that are related to Al toxicity and tolerance during growth in acid soil. We found several genes that were not found in previous studies using hydroponic experiments, increasing our understanding of plant responses to acid soil. The use of two germplasms with markedly different Al tolerances allowed the identification of genes that are a valuable tool for assessing the mechanisms of Al tolerance in maize in acid soil.
| S-EPMC2956545 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Maize is a globally important food, feed crop and raw material for the food and energy industry. Plant architecture optimization plays important roles in maize yield improvement. PIN-FORMED (PIN) proteins are important for regulating auxin spatiotemporal asymmetric distribution in multiple plant developmental processes. In this study, ZmPIN1a overexpression in maize increased the number of lateral roots and inhibited their elongation, forming a developed root system with longer seminal roots and denser lateral roots. ZmPIN1a overexpression reduced plant height, internode length and ear height. This modification of the maize phenotype increased the yield under high-density cultivation conditions, and the developed root system improved plant resistance to drought, lodging and a low-phosphate environment. IAA concentration, transport capacity determination and application of external IAA indicated that ZmPIN1a overexpression led to increased IAA transport from shoot to root. The increase in auxin in the root enabled the plant to allocate more carbohydrates to the roots, enhanced the growth of the root and improved plant resistance to environmental stress. These findings demonstrate that maize plant architecture can be improved by root breeding to create an ideal phenotype for further yield increases.
| S-EPMC5785362 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The root system is critical for the survival of nearly all land plants and a key target for improving abiotic stress tolerance, nutrient accumulation, and yield in crop species. Although many methods of root phenotyping exist, within field studies, one of the most popular methods is the extraction and measurement of the upper portion of the root system, known as the root crown, followed by trait quantification based on manual measurements or 2D imaging. However, 2D techniques are inherently limited by the information available from single points of view. Here, we used X-ray computed tomography to generate highly accurate 3D models of maize root crowns and created computational pipelines capable of measuring 71 features from each sample. This approach improves estimates of the genetic contribution to root system architecture and is refined enough to detect various changes in global root system architecture over developmental time as well as more subtle changes in root distributions as a result of environmental differences. We demonstrate that root pulling force, a high-throughput method of root extraction that provides an estimate of root mass, is associated with multiple 3D traits from our pipeline. Our combined methodology can therefore be used to calibrate and interpret root pulling force measurements across a range of experimental contexts or scaled up as a stand-alone approach in large genetic studies of root system architecture.
| S-EPMC8603028 | biostudies-literature
Project description:In ostriches, the toes are the only body parts that contact loose sand surfaces. Thus, toe interphalangeal joint motions may play vital biomechanical roles. However, there is little research on ostrich phalangeal joint movements while walking or running on sand. The results from the three-dimensional motion track analysis system Simi Motion show that gait pattern has no significant effect on the key indicators (angles at touch-down, mid-stance, lift-off and range of motion) of the toe joint angles. The motion of the toe phalanges when walking and running on sand is basically the same. The ground medium is the key factor that changes the toe postures adopted by ostriches during the stance phase in slow to fast locomotion. The 3rd toe and the 4th toe are connected by the interphalangeal ligament, and the motions of the MTP3 and MTP4 joints are highly synchronized on a loose sand substrate. The 3rd toe and 4th toe are coupled to maintain static balance in slow locomotion and dynamic balance in fast locomotion. In addition, the gait pattern has a marked effect on the range of forward displacement of the toenail (YTN). The ostrich toenail plays an important role in preventing slip and provides traction at push-off in a sandy environment. The metatarsophalangeal joint plays an important role in energy saving during fast locomotion on loose sand substrates. Simulation reveals that the particle velocity field, particle force field and sand particle disturbance in the running gait are denser than those in the walking gait.
| S-EPMC5830293 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Soil salinization limits crop growth and yield in agro-ecosystems worldwide by reducing soil health and altering the structure of microbial communities. Salt-tolerant plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) alleviate plant salinity stress. Wild soybean (Glycine soja Sieb. and Zucc.) is unique in agricultural ecosystems owing to its ability to grow in saline-alkali soils and fix atmospheric nitrogen via symbiotic interactions with diverse soil microbes. However, this rhizosphere microbiome and the nodule endosymbionts have not been investigated to identify PGPR. In this study, we investigated the structural and functional rhizosphere microbial communities in saline-alkali soil from the Yellow River Delta and coastal soil in China, as well as wild soybean root nodule endosymbionts. To reveal the composition of the microbial ecosystem, we performed 16S rRNA and nifH gene amplicon sequencing on root nodules and root zones under different environmental conditions. In addition, we used culture-independent methods to examine the root bacterial microbiome of wild soybean. For functional characterization of individual members of the microbiome and their impact on plant growth, we inoculated isolates from the root microbiome with wild soybean and observed nodulation. Sinorhizobium/Ensifer accounted for 97% of the root nodule microbiome, with other enriched members belonging to the phyla Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Chloroflexi, Acidobacteria, and Gemmatimonadetes; the genera Sphingomonas, Microbacterium, Arthrobacter, Nocardioides, Streptomyces, Flavobacterium, Flavisolibacter, and Pseudomonas; and the family Enterobacteriaceae. Compared to saline-alkali soil from the Yellow River Delta, coastal soil was highly enriched for soybean nodules and displayed significant differences in the abundance and diversity of β-proteobacteria, δ-proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Bacteroidetes. Overall, the wild soybean root nodule microbiome was dominated by nutrient-providing Sinorhizobium/Ensifer and was enriched for bacterial genera that may provide salt resistance. Thus, this reductionist experimental approach provides an avenue for future systematic and functional studies of the plant root microbiome.
| S-EPMC7536311 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Trichoderma longibrachiatum sp. are free-living filamentous fungi which are common in agro-ecosystems. However, few studies thus far have examined the interaction between Trichoderma longibrachiatum and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi in saline soil and their potential for improving plant stress tolerance. Here, single, dual-inoculated (T. longibrachiatum MF, AM fungal community or Glomus sp.), and non-inoculated maize (Zea may L.) were subjected to different salinity levels (0, 75, 150, and 225 mM NaCl) to test the synergistic effects of dual inoculants on maize plants in different salt stress conditions. Plant performance and metabolic profiles were compared to find the molecular mechanisms underlying plant protection against salt stress. The first experiment revealed that dual inoculation of an AM fungal community and T. longibrachiatum MF improved the biomass and K+/Na+ ratio in maize under non-saline conditions, and generally enhanced AM fungal growth in root and soil under all but the 225 mM NaCl conditions. However, MF inoculant did not influence the structure of AM fungal communities in maize roots. In the second experiment, dual inoculation of Glomus sp. and T. longibrachiatum MF increased maize plant biomass, K+/Na+ ratio, and AM fungal growth in root and soil significantly at both 0 and 75 mM NaCl conditions. We identified metabolic compounds differentially accumulated in dual-inoculated maize that may underline their enhanced maize plant tolerance to increasing soil salinity. Our data suggested that the combination of Glomus sp. and T. longibrachiatum leads to interactions, which may play a potential role in alleviating the stress and improve crop productivity in salt-affected soils.
| S-EPMC9142908 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The development of crops with better growth under suboptimal phosphorus availability would improve food security in developing countries while reducing environmental pollution in developed countries. We tested the hypothesis that maize (Zea mays) phenotypes with greater lateral root branching density have greater phosphorus acquisition from low phosphorus soils. Recombinant inbred lines with either 'many short' (MS) or 'few long' (FL) lateral root phenotypes were grown under high and low phosphorus conditions in greenhouse mesocosms and in the field. Under low phosphorus in mesocosms, lines with the MS phenotype had 89% greater phosphorus acquisition and 48% more shoot biomass than FL lines. Under low phosphorus in the field, MS lines had 16% shallower rooting depth (D95), 81% greater root length density in the top 20 cm of the soil, 49% greater shoot phosphorus content, 12% greater leaf photosynthesis, 19% greater shoot biomass, and 14% greater grain yield than FL lines. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that the phenotype of many, shorter lateral roots improves phosphorus acquisition under low phosphorus availability and merits consideration for genetic improvement of phosphorus efficiency in maize and other crops.
| S-EPMC6137997 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Apple replant disease (ARD) is the phenomenon of soil decline occurring after repeated planting of apple trees at the same site. This study aimed to elucidate whether ARD is systemic, i.e. whether the contact of parts of the root system with ARD soil causes the whole plant to show poor shoot and root growth. A split-root experiment was conducted with seedlings of 'M26', offering the same plant for its root system the choice between the substrates ARD soil (+ARD), γ-sterilized ARD soil (-ARD) or soil from a grass parcel (Control) with the following combinations: +ARD/+ARD, -ARD/-ARD; +ARD/-ARD; +ARD/Control. Root growth was analysed throughout the 34-day growing period. Samples from bulk, rhizosphere and rhizoplane soil were collected separately for each compartment, and analysed by fingerprints of 16S rRNA gene or ITS fragments amplified from total community (TC) DNA. The response of the plant to +ARD was not systemic as root growth in -ARD compartment was always superior to root growth in +ARD soil. Crosswise 15N-labelling of the N-fertilizer applied to the split-root compartments showed that nitrate-N uptake efficiency was higher for roots in -ARD soil compared to those in +ARD. Bacterial and fungal community composition in the rhizoplane and rhizosphere of the same plants differed significantly between the compartments containing +ARD/-ARD or +ARD/Control. The strongest differences between the bacterial fingerprints were observed in the rhizoplane and rhizosphere. Bacterial genera with increased abundance in response to ARD were mainly Streptomyces but also Sphingobium, Novosphingobium, Rhizobium, Lysobacter and Variovorax. The strongest differences between the fungal fingerprints were observed in bulk soil. Our data showed that the response of the apple plant to ARD soil is local and not systemic.
| S-EPMC6175279 | biostudies-literature