Can rhizotron tube studies predict deep rooting in the field? A comparison of root phenotyping methods

IF 5.6 1区 农林科学 Q1 AGRONOMY
Arnesta Odone, Kristian Thorup-Kristensen
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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Context or problem

Roots have been neglected in crop research, and in particular deep roots which are more difficult to access. Yet they play a crucial role in water stress tolerance, especially in later developmental stages. Methods for phenotyping roots are needed in order to breed for deeper rooting. While field phenotyping methods are costly and laborious, smaller scale methods are often cheaper and more easily replicated, but do not necessarily represent field conditions. Existing studies have not found strong relationships between small-scale and field grown roots, especially in later developmental stages.

Objective or research question

This study aimed to investigate whether similar genotypic differences can be seen in deep rooting of winter wheat in field soil and in tube studies, and if tubes could therefore be used to predict deep rooting in the field.

Methods

We used root imaging to compare deep rooting characteristics of eight modern Danish winter wheat cultivars using three different methods: field experiments assessing roots with minirhizotron tubes; the semi-field facility, RadiMax; and 1.5 m tall rhizotron tubes.

Results

While deep rooting genotypes showed mostly positive correlations across all methods, significant correlations between methods were observed only in one year, specifically between the tubes and semi-field. Furthermore, deep rooting exhibited significant correlations across years and months within the RadiMax method, suggesting consistent deep rooting patterns over time. The increase in variability as experiments became more field-like highlights the complexity of soil-root interactions.

Conclusions

While this study suggests that under certain conditions, small-scale phenotyping methods can indicate deep rooting genotypes, the correlations were not consistent enough to be used to predict deep rooting in the field. This underscores the challenge of using small-scale experiments to extrapolate root measurements to the field.

Implications

This study demonstrates the need for caution when interpreting small-scale root experiments, and underlines the need for continued developments in root research generally. Further studies are needed to improve the quality of methods, to evaluate the effects of different soil types and environmental conditions on root growth, and to relate these to field-grown roots.
根管研究能预测田间深生根吗?根表型分析方法的比较
背景或问题在作物研究中,根一直被忽视,尤其是难以获得的深根。然而,它们在水分胁迫耐受性中起着至关重要的作用,尤其是在发育后期。为了培育更深的根系,需要对根系进行表型分析的方法。虽然现场表型分析方法既昂贵又费力,但规模较小的方法往往更便宜,更容易复制,但不一定能代表现场情况。现有的研究没有发现小规模和田间种植的根之间的密切关系,特别是在较晚的发育阶段。目的或研究问题本研究旨在探讨在田间土壤和试管研究中冬小麦的深生根是否存在相似的基因型差异,以及试管是否可以用来预测田间深生根。方法采用三种不同的方法对8个现代丹麦冬小麦品种进行根系成像,比较其深生根特性。半现场设施RadiMax;1.5 m高的根管。结果深生根基因型在各方法间呈显著正相关,但各方法间仅在一年内呈显著相关,尤其是试管与半田之间。此外,在RadiMax方法中,深生根在年份和月份之间表现出显著的相关性,表明深生根模式在时间上是一致的。随着实验变得更像田地,变异的增加凸显了土壤-根相互作用的复杂性。虽然本研究表明,在一定条件下,小规模表型方法可以显示深生根基因型,但相关性不足以用于预测田间深生根。这强调了使用小规模实验来推断田间根系测量值的挑战。本研究表明,在解释小规模根系试验时需要谨慎,并强调了根系研究总体上继续发展的必要性。需要进一步的研究来提高方法的质量,评估不同土壤类型和环境条件对根系生长的影响,并将这些影响与田间生长的根系联系起来。
本文章由计算机程序翻译,如有差异,请以英文原文为准。
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来源期刊
Field Crops Research
Field Crops Research 农林科学-农艺学
CiteScore
9.60
自引率
12.10%
发文量
307
审稿时长
46 days
期刊介绍: Field Crops Research is an international journal publishing scientific articles on: √ experimental and modelling research at field, farm and landscape levels on temperate and tropical crops and cropping systems, with a focus on crop ecology and physiology, agronomy, and plant genetics and breeding.
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