Abstract
Suboptimal phosphorus (P) availability is a primary constraint to plant growth on Earth. We tested the hypothesis that maize (Zea mays) genotypes with large crown root number (CN) will have shallower rooting depth and improved P acquisition from low-P soils. Maize recombinant inbred lines with contrasting CN were evaluated under suboptimal P availability in greenhouse mesocosms and the field. Under P stress in mesocosms, the large-CN phenotype had 48% greater root respiration, 24% shallower rooting depth, 32% greater root length density in the topsoil, 37% greater leaf P concentration, 48% greater leaf photosynthesis, 33% greater stomatal conductance, and 44% greater shoot biomass than the small-CN phenotype. Under P stress in the field, the large-CN phenotype had 32% shallower rooting depth, 51% greater root length density in the topsoil, 44% greater leaf P concentration, 18% greater leaf photosynthesis, 21% greater stomatal conductance, 23% greater shoot biomass at anthesis, and 28% greater yield than the small-CN phenotype. These results support the hypothesis that large CN improves plant P acquisition from low-P soils by reducing rooting depth and increasing topsoil foraging. The large-CN phenotype merits consideration as a selection target to improve P capture in maize and possibly other cereal crops.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 90-104 |
| Number of pages | 15 |
| Journal | Plant physiology |
| Volume | 177 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jan 1 2018 |
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All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Physiology
- Genetics
- Plant Science
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Large crown root number improves topsoil foraging and phosphorus acquisition. / Sun, Baoru; Gao, Yingzhi; Lynch, Jonathan P.
In: Plant physiology, Vol. 177, No. 1, 01.01.2018, p. 90-104.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
TY - JOUR
T1 - Large crown root number improves topsoil foraging and phosphorus acquisition
AU - Sun, Baoru
AU - Gao, Yingzhi
AU - Lynch, Jonathan P.
PY - 2018/1/1
Y1 - 2018/1/1
N2 - Suboptimal phosphorus (P) availability is a primary constraint to plant growth on Earth. We tested the hypothesis that maize (Zea mays) genotypes with large crown root number (CN) will have shallower rooting depth and improved P acquisition from low-P soils. Maize recombinant inbred lines with contrasting CN were evaluated under suboptimal P availability in greenhouse mesocosms and the field. Under P stress in mesocosms, the large-CN phenotype had 48% greater root respiration, 24% shallower rooting depth, 32% greater root length density in the topsoil, 37% greater leaf P concentration, 48% greater leaf photosynthesis, 33% greater stomatal conductance, and 44% greater shoot biomass than the small-CN phenotype. Under P stress in the field, the large-CN phenotype had 32% shallower rooting depth, 51% greater root length density in the topsoil, 44% greater leaf P concentration, 18% greater leaf photosynthesis, 21% greater stomatal conductance, 23% greater shoot biomass at anthesis, and 28% greater yield than the small-CN phenotype. These results support the hypothesis that large CN improves plant P acquisition from low-P soils by reducing rooting depth and increasing topsoil foraging. The large-CN phenotype merits consideration as a selection target to improve P capture in maize and possibly other cereal crops.
AB - Suboptimal phosphorus (P) availability is a primary constraint to plant growth on Earth. We tested the hypothesis that maize (Zea mays) genotypes with large crown root number (CN) will have shallower rooting depth and improved P acquisition from low-P soils. Maize recombinant inbred lines with contrasting CN were evaluated under suboptimal P availability in greenhouse mesocosms and the field. Under P stress in mesocosms, the large-CN phenotype had 48% greater root respiration, 24% shallower rooting depth, 32% greater root length density in the topsoil, 37% greater leaf P concentration, 48% greater leaf photosynthesis, 33% greater stomatal conductance, and 44% greater shoot biomass than the small-CN phenotype. Under P stress in the field, the large-CN phenotype had 32% shallower rooting depth, 51% greater root length density in the topsoil, 44% greater leaf P concentration, 18% greater leaf photosynthesis, 21% greater stomatal conductance, 23% greater shoot biomass at anthesis, and 28% greater yield than the small-CN phenotype. These results support the hypothesis that large CN improves plant P acquisition from low-P soils by reducing rooting depth and increasing topsoil foraging. The large-CN phenotype merits consideration as a selection target to improve P capture in maize and possibly other cereal crops.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85058816692&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85058816692&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1104/pp.18.00234
DO - 10.1104/pp.18.00234
M3 - Article
C2 - 29618638
AN - SCOPUS:85058816692
VL - 177
SP - 90
EP - 104
JO - Plant Physiology
JF - Plant Physiology
SN - 0032-0889
IS - 1
ER -