Hypoxia tolerance of four millet species is attributable to constitutive aerenchyma formation and root hair development of adventitious roots

ABSTRACT The purpose was to elucidate the hypoxia tolerance mechanism of millet species by focusing on the oxygen acquisition mechanism of adventitious roots. Brachiaria ramosa, Echinochloa utilis, Eragrostis tef, and Setaria italica were used. Thirty-day old plants were hydroponically cultivated for 28 days as the control, where aeration was continued and a hypoxia treatment was applied, where nitrogen gas was flushed to reduce the oxygen concentration. From the stress susceptibility index based on plant growth rate, it was clarified that E. utilis and E. tef had higher hypoxia tolerance than B. ramosa and S. italica. Root growth rate, nitrogen concentration of leaves and stems, and sodium concentration per plant of the higher hypoxia-tolerant species did not change with hypoxia treatment. In hypoxia-susceptible millet species, the root growth rate and nitrogen concentration in the leaf and stem decreased, and the sodium concentration in the whole plant increased. The proportion of the stele area of the adventitious root of the hypoxia-tolerant millet species was smaller than that of the hypoxia-susceptible millet species, and the lysigenous aerenchyma was constitutively developed. Furthermore, root hairs were observed near the root tip in the hypoxia-tolerant millet species. In conclusion, we deduced that the hypoxia tolerance of the millet species is mainly attributable to the supply of oxygen to the root tip via the lysigenous aerenchyma along the adventitious root. Lower oxygen consumption by a smaller proportion of the stele area might be an important genetic trait. Furthermore, root hair may contribute to nutrient absorption. Graphical Abstract