Intensive field phenotyping of maize (<i>Zea mays</i>L.) root crowns identifies phenes and phene integration associated with plant growth and nitrogen acquisition

York, Larry M.; Lynch, Jonathan P.

doi:10.1093/jxb/erv241

Cited by 93 publications

(79 citation statements)

References 70 publications

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“…Given the rapid pace of advancement in our ability to understand and manipulate crop genomes, as well as recent advances in root phenotyping of mature plants in the field (e.g. York & Lynch, ), it may be more efficient to conduct research on the root phenome directly in crop species rather than rely on model species. The fitness landscape of integrated root phenotypes is highly complex yet poorly understood, and merits greater research attention if we are to understand how to deploy root phenes in breeding specific crops for specific production environments.…”

Section: Cross‐cutting Issuesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Root phenotypes for improved nutrient capture: an underexploited opportunity for global agriculture

2019

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Summary Nutrient‐efficient crops are a solution to the two grand challenges of modern agriculture: improving food security while reducing environmental impacts. The primary challenges are (1) nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) efficiency; (2) potassium (K), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg) efficiency for acid soils; and (3) iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) efficiency for alkaline soils. Root phenotypes are promising breeding targets for each of these. The Topsoil Foraging ideotype is beneficial for P capture and should also be useful for capture of K, Ca, and Mg in acid soils. The Steep, Cheap, and Deep ideotype for subsoil foraging is beneficial for N and water capture. Fe and Zn capture can be improved by targeting mechanisms of metal mobilization in the rhizosphere. Root hairs and phenes that reduce the metabolic cost of soil exploration should be prioritized in breeding programs. Nutrient‐efficient crops should provide benefits at all input levels. Although our current understanding is sufficient to deploy root phenotypes for improved nutrient capture in crop breeding, this complex topic does not receive the resources it merits in either applied or basic plant biology. Renewed emphasis on these topics is needed in order to develop the nutrient‐efficient crops urgently needed in global agriculture.

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Section: Cross‐cutting Issuesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Root phenotypes for improved nutrient capture: an underexploited opportunity for global agriculture

2019

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“…RSA denotes the shape, distribution, and branching pattern of roots (Lynch, ; Osmont, Sibout, & Hardtke, ) that play a key role in determining crop productivity in resource‐limited environments (Bengough, McKenzie, Hallett, & Valentine, ). Although the importance of these traits is known, few studies have explored the genetic variability in crops (Gahoonia, Ali, Sarker, Nielsen, & Rahman, ; Lynch & van Beem, ; McPhee, ; Prince, Murphy, et al, ; Prince et al, ; Sponchiado, White, Castillo, & Jones, ; York & Lynch, ). The natural genetic variation in root traits is a largely untapped resource that has had limited use as selection criteria in crop breeding programs (Lynch & Brown, ; York, Nord, & Lynch, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding genetic control of root system architecture in soybean: Insights into the genetic basis of lateral root number

Prince

Valliyodan

et al. 2018

Plant Cell & Environment

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Developing crops with better root systems is a promising strategy to ensure productivity in both optimum and stress environments. Root system architectural traits in 397 soybean accessions were characterized and a high-density single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs)-based genome-wide association study was performed to identify the underlying genes associated with root structure. SNPs associated with root architectural traits specific to landraces and elite germplasm pools were detected. Four loci were detected in landraces for lateral root number (LRN) and distribution of root thickness in diameter Class I with a major locus on chromosome 16. This major loci was detected in the coding region of unknown protein, and subsequent analyses demonstrated that root traits are affected with mutated haplotypes of the gene. In elite germplasm pool, 3 significant SNPs in alanine-glyoxalate aminotransferase, Leucine-Rich Repeat receptor/No apical meristem, and unknown functional genes were found to govern multiple traits including root surface area and volume. However, no major loci were detected for LRN in elite germplasm. Nucleotide diversity analysis found evidence of selective sweeps around the landraces LRN gene. Soybean accessions with minor and mutated allelic variants of LRN gene were found to perform better in both water-limited and optimal field conditions.

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“…The number of crown roots, their growth rate, and their angle of growth with respect to gravity all vary between different inbred lines of maize (10). The physiological impact of variation in crown root growth has been explored through modeling approaches, which indicates that faster growing roots with a steeper gravity setpoint angle promote access to deep-water resources (11,12).…”

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Grasses suppress shoot-borne roots to conserve water during drought

Sebastián

Yee

Viana

et al. 2016

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

101

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Many important crops are members of the Poaceae family, which develop root systems characterized by a high degree of root initiation from the belowground basal nodes of the shoot, termed the crown. Although this postembryonic shoot-borne root system represents the major conduit for water uptake, little is known about the effect of water availability on its development. Here we demonstrate that in the model C 4 grass Setaria viridis, the crown locally senses water availability and suppresses postemergence crown root growth under a water deficit. This response was observed in field and growth room environments and in all grass species tested. Luminescence-based imaging of root systems grown in soil-like media revealed a shift in root growth from crown-derived to primary root-derived branches, suggesting that primary root-dominated architecture can be induced in S. viridis under certain stress conditions. Crown roots of Zea mays and Setaria italica, domesticated relatives of teosinte and S. viridis, respectively, show reduced sensitivity to water deficit, suggesting that this response might have been influenced by human selection. Enhanced water status of maize mutants lacking crown roots suggests that under a water deficit, stronger suppression of crown roots actually may benefit crop productivity.root development | drought | Poaceae | Setaria | Zea mays

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Intensive field phenotyping of maize (Zea maysL.) root crowns identifies phenes and phene integration associated with plant growth and nitrogen acquisition

Abstract: HighlightRoot phenes were phenotyped on all whorls of field-grown maize for the first time, and their integration could explain up to 70% of shoot mass variation in low nitrogen soils.

Cited by 93 publications

References 70 publications

Root phenotypes for improved nutrient capture: an underexploited opportunity for global agriculture

Root phenotypes for improved nutrient capture: an underexploited opportunity for global agriculture

Understanding genetic control of root system architecture in soybean: Insights into the genetic basis of lateral root number

Grasses suppress shoot-borne roots to conserve water during drought

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