How Abiotic Stress Conditions Affects Plant Roots

Abstract

Roots are generally subject to more abiotic stress than shoots. Therefore, they can be affected by such stresses as much as, or even more, than above ground parts of a plant. However, the effect of abiotic stresses on root structure and development has been significantly less studied than above ground parts of plants due to limited availability for root observations. Roots have functions such as connecting the plant to the environment in which it grows, uptaking water and nutrients and carrying them to the above-ground organs of the plant, secreting certain hormones and organic compounds, and thus ensuring the usefulness of nutrients in the nutrient solution. Roots also send some hormonal signals to the body in stress conditions such as drought, nutrient deficiencies, salinity, to prevent the plant from being damaged, and ensure that the above-ground part takes the necessary precautions to adapt to these adverse conditions. Salinity, drought, radiation, high and low temperatures, heavy metals, flood, and nutrient deficiency are abiotic stress factors and they negatively affect plant growth, productivity and quality. Given the fact that impending climate change increases the frequency, duration, and severity of stress conditions, these negative effects are estimated to increase. This book chapter reviews to show how abiotic stress conditions affect growth, physiological, biochemical and molecular characteristics of plant roots.

Effects of Low Temperature Stress on Source–Sink Organs in Wheat and Phosphorus Mitigation Strategies

“…In an experimental investigation, spring wheat and winter wheat were subjected to LTS at 5°C; subsequently, root growth diminished by 60 and 75% as compared to control at 25°C, respectively (Equiza, 2001). Similar results were found in rice, where root length and biomass significantly decreased by 51% under LTS exposure (Hsu and Hsu, 2019;Kul et al, 2020).…”

“…Roots are considered vital plant organs, which are involved in active nutrient transport from soil to other plant parts (Kim et al, 2020). The root growth is depicted as an ecologically regulated phenomenon (Buriro et al, 2011;Kul et al, 2020). Despite clearly visible detrimental effects of LTS in the aboveground portion of the plant, it also severely disrupts active functioning of root system (Kul et al, 2020).…”

“…The root growth is depicted as an ecologically regulated phenomenon (Buriro et al, 2011;Kul et al, 2020). Despite clearly visible detrimental effects of LTS in the aboveground portion of the plant, it also severely disrupts active functioning of root system (Kul et al, 2020).…”

“…LTS also induces photoinhibition by reducing plant capability to assimilate light energy (Mattila et al, 2020). Generally, the imbalanced source-sink relationship deteriorates the wheat yield and quality by reducing root absorption capacity, declining photosynthetic activity, poor spike differentiation, and delayed grain filling under LTS (Li et al, 2014;Zhang et al, 2019;Kul et al, 2020). Soil degradation also greatly interferes with wheat productivity (Alewell et al, 2020;Raimondo et al, 2020).…”

Cold Stress in Wheat: Plant Acclimation Responses and Management Strategies

“…Additionally, applying freezing stress (−8 and −9 • C) at the stem elongation stage limits the internode extension, denatures the spikelets, reduces assimilate transport, restricts the dry matter accumulation, and causes a significant reduction in grain yield (Whaley et al, 2004). Low temperature also affects the root growth of wheat as root growth is an ecologically controlled parameter (Buriro et al, 2011;Kul et al, 2020). Root length is more sensitive to suboptimal temperature than dry weight.…”