Are crop deep roots always beneficial for combating drought: A review of root structure and function, regulation and phenotyping

Li, Baoru; Zhang, Xiying; Morita, Shigenori; Sekiya, Nobuhito; Araki, Hideki; Gu, Hannian; Han, Jie; Yang, Lü; Liu, Xiuwei

doi:10.1016/j.agwat.2022.107781

Cited by 29 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 142 publications

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“…Putelat et al (2021) suggest that future wheat crops may escape heat (and drought) impacts through faster development because of warmer year-round temperatures. High temperature impacts could be mitigated by targeted breeding for deeper root systems combined with lower metabolic costs (Li et al, 2022), water storage and irrigation for drought around anthesis, or soil conservation and improvement measures to increase water and nutrient retention. The winter wheat varieties grown in the UK are photoperiod sensitive varieties and require a vernalization period (Sheehan and Bentley, 2021).…”

Section: Potential Adaptation Measuresmentioning

confidence: 99%

2022 UK heatwave impacts on agrifood: implications for a climate-resilient food system

Davie,

Falloon,

Pain

et al. 2023

Front. Environ. Sci.

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Record-breaking high temperatures were experienced across the United Kingdom during summer 2022. The impacts of these extreme climatic conditions were felt across the food system, including increased energy costs for cold storage, the failure of refrigeration systems in numerous retail facilities, and impacts on livestock including heat stress. Future climate projections indicate an increased likelihood and duration of extreme high temperatures like those experienced in 2022. Learning from the impacts of the 2022 heatwave on the United Kingdom food system can help identify adaptations that build resilience to climate change. We explore the impacts through two case studies (United Kingdom poultry and wheat sectors), discuss potential adaptation options required for a climate-resilient, net-zero United Kingdom food system and consider future research needs. United Kingdom chicken meat production was 9% lower in July 2022 than July 2021; in contrast, energy costs increased for both production and refrigeration. Potential heatwave adaptation measures for poultry include transitioning to heat tolerant chicken breeds, lower stocking density, dehumidification cooling and misting systems, nutritional supplements, and improving retail refrigeration resilience and efficiency. United Kingdom wheat yields were 8% higher in 2022 than the 2017–2021 average. Increases were observed in every United Kingdom region but were least in the South and East where the heatwave intensity was strongest. Future adaptation measures to avoid negative impacts of summer heat stress on winter wheat could include earlier maturing and heat/drought tolerant varieties, earlier autumn sowing, targeted irrigation for drought around anthesis, and soil and water conservation measures.

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Section: Potential Adaptation Measuresmentioning

confidence: 99%

2022 UK heatwave impacts on agrifood: implications for a climate-resilient food system

Davie,

Falloon,

Pain

et al. 2023

Front. Environ. Sci.

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“…The root phenotype plasticity depends on internal genetic factors and external environmental factors ( Lynch, 1995 ; Gruber et al., 2013 ; Lynch, 2013 ), such as temperature ( Nagel et al., 2009 ), moisture, soil structure ( Bengough et al., 2011 ), and soil nutrients ( Lambers et al., 2009 ). The optimal root phenotype in a given environment enables efficient exploration and competition for resources and can survive periods of nutrient or water scarcity ( Li et al., 2022b ) Therefore, exploring dynamic root phenotypes can further clarify the response mechanism of root phenotypes to the environment and reveal the relationship between root traits and yield for improving crop yield ( Tracy et al., 2020 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

RhizoPot platform: A high-throughput in situ root phenotyping platform with integrated hardware and software

et al. 2022

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Quantitative analysis of root development is becoming a preferred option in assessing the function of hidden underground roots, especially in studying resistance to abiotic stresses. It can be enhanced by acquiring non-destructive phenotypic information on roots, such as rhizotrons. However, it is challenging to develop high-throughput phenotyping equipment for acquiring and analyzing in situ root images of root development. In this study, the RhizoPot platform, a high-throughput in situ root phenotyping platform integrating plant culture, automatic in situ root image acquisition, and image segmentation, was proposed for quantitative analysis of root development. Plants (1-5) were grown in each RhizoPot, and the growth time depended on the type of plant and the experimental requirements. For example, the growth time of cotton was about 110 days. The imaging control software (RhizoAuto) could automatically and non-destructively image the roots of RhizoPot-cultured plants based on the set time and resolution (50-4800 dpi) and obtain high-resolution (>1200 dpi) images in batches. The improved DeepLabv3+ tool was used for batch processing of root images. The roots were automatically segmented and extracted from the background for analysis of information on radical features using conventional root software (WinRhizo and RhizoVision Explorer). Root morphology, root growth rate, and lifespan analysis were conducted using in situ root images and segmented images. The platform illustrated the dynamic response characteristics of root phenotypes in cotton. In conclusion, the RhizoPot platform has the characteristics of low cost, high-efficiency, and high-throughput, and thus it can effectively monitor the development of plant roots and realize the quantitative analysis of root phenotypes in situ.

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Applying minirhizotrons to observe spatiotemporal variations in rooting depth and distribution in agroecosystems to improve the performance of hydrological models

Böske,

Falge,

Liedtke

et al. 2024

Vadose Zone Journal

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To understand and explain soil moisture dynamics, the role of the vegetation is crucial. Hydrological processes in agricultural soils are strongly affected by rooting depth and root distribution. We present a new approach to monitor and model root dynamics and its influence on soil moisture using minirhizotrons combined with phenological observations. Field setups consist of a portable root scanner and acrylic glass tubes installed in the soil at the start of the growing season. 360° scans of soil and roots are taken regularly at different depths in the tubes. Root traits are identified automatically for each soil layer and complemented by observations of aboveground plant phenology. Results from minirhizotron data collected at an agrometeorological observatory in Germany show for both cereal and rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) crops a higher root density in deeper soil layers and a lower density near the soil surface when compared to literature data. An opposite picture emerged for maize (Zea mays L.) and potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), whereas vertical root distribution in sugar beet (Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris) had a different seasonal course than expected from literature. Applying the new root distribution data in calculations of the soil water balance resulted in differences of more than 3% in absolute volumetric soil water content. A comparison with in situ measurements of volumetric soil moisture at 20‐ and 50‐cm depth revealed a significant improvement of the model results due to the new parameterization. Thus, we argue that minirhizotrons constitute a useful supplement to hydrological observatories and can help understand and predict soil moisture dynamics in the critical zone.

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Are crop deep roots always beneficial for combating drought: A review of root structure and function, regulation and phenotyping

Cited by 29 publications

References 142 publications

2022 UK heatwave impacts on agrifood: implications for a climate-resilient food system

2022 UK heatwave impacts on agrifood: implications for a climate-resilient food system

RhizoPot platform: A high-throughput in situ root phenotyping platform with integrated hardware and software

Applying minirhizotrons to observe spatiotemporal variations in rooting depth and distribution in agroecosystems to improve the performance of hydrological models

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