On the Possible Trade-Off between Shoot and Root Biomass in Wheat

Abstract

Numerous studies have shown that under a limited water supply, a larger root biomass is associated with an increased above-ground biomass. Root biomass, while genetically controlled, is also greatly affected by the environment with varying plasticity levels. In this context, understanding the relationship between the biomass of shoots and roots appears prudent. In this study, we analyze this relationship in a large dataset collected from multiple experiments conducted up to different growth stages in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and its wild relatives. Four bread wheat mapping populations as well as wild and domesticated members of the Triticeae tribe were evaluated for the root and shoot biomass allocation patterns. In the analyzed dataset the root and shoot biomasses were directly related to each other, and to the heading date, and the correlation values increased in proportion to the length of an experiment. On average, 84.1% of the observed variation was explained by a positive correlation between shoot and root biomass. Scatter plots generated from 6353 data points from numerous experiments with different wheats suggest that at some point, further increases in root biomass negatively impact the shoot biomass. Based on these results, a preliminary study with different water availability scenarios and growth conditions was designed with two cultivars, Pavon 76 and Yecora Rojo. The duration of drought and water level significantly affected the root/shoot biomass allocation patterns. However, the responses of the two cultivars were quite different, suggesting that the point of diminishing returns in increasing root biomass may be different for different wheats, reinforcing the need to breed wheats for specific environmental challenges.

Precrop-treated soil influences wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) root system architecture and its response to drought

“…The RWT did show a larger effect on the shoot biomass, more than the root biomass, indicating that the root system was less reduced in size than the shoots, suggesting increased prioritisation of the root system during water stress; this is supported by the significant difference in the shoot-to-root ratio. These results support previous findings showing increased percentages of root biomass when under drought conditions ( Bektas et al., 2023 ), however, this could be linked to the lower growth stage of the RWT, which affects this ratio ( Fageria, 1992 ). The RWT also showed decreased concentrations of nitrogen per biomass, which could indicate reduced uptake associated with drought conditions.…”

“…Clear effects on the RSA from this small amount of precrop-treated soil around the seedling show the success of this method in generating a precrop effect, in part, in laboratory conditions. From this study, we can see that the water stress shows expected effects on the winter wheat, with the reduced water treatment (RWT) causing reduced plant size, as outlined by the reduced biomass, length, and growth stage, as expected (Bektas et al, 2023). The RWT did show a larger effect on the shoot biomass, more than the root biomass, indicating that the root system was less reduced in size than the shoots, suggesting increased prioritisation of the root system during water stress; this is supported by the significant difference in the shoot-to-root ratio.…”