Plant Root Interactions

Hodge, Angela

doi:10.1007/978-3-642-23524-5_9

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 81 publications

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“…A spectrum from avoidance to confrontation of neighbor root systems has been found for different species in different experiments (Schenk et al, 1999 for segregation, Bartelheimer et al, 2006; Semchenko et al, 2007 for aggregation). To discuss the question what was the cause of the observed root segregation when a neighbor was present, at least two non-exclusive answers are possible [also reviewed by Hodge (2012)]. The first possibility is the perception of the neighbor by mechanisms beyond resource depletion.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Belowground neighbor perception in Arabidopsis thaliana studied by transcriptome analysis: roots of Hieracium pilosella cause biotic stress

Schmid¹,

Bauer²,

Müller³

et al. 2013

Front. Plant Sci.

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Root-root interactions are much more sophisticated than previously thought, yet the mechanisms of belowground neighbor perception remain largely obscure. Genome-wide transcriptome analyses allow detailed insight into plant reactions to environmental cues. A root interaction trial was set up to explore both morphological and whole genome transcriptional responses in roots of Arabidopsis thaliana in the presence or absence of an inferior competitor, Hieracium pilosella. Neighbor perception was indicated by Arabidopsis roots predominantly growing away from the neighbor (segregation), while solitary plants placed more roots toward the middle of the pot. Total biomass remained unaffected. Database comparisons in transcriptome analysis revealed considerable similarity between Arabidopsis root reactions to neighbors and reactions to pathogens. Detailed analyses of the functional category “biotic stress” using MapMan tools found the sub-category “pathogenesis-related proteins” highly significantly induced. A comparison to a study on intraspecific competition brought forward a core of genes consistently involved in reactions to neighbor roots. We conclude that beyond resource depletion roots perceive neighboring roots or their associated microorganisms by a relatively uniform mechanism that involves the strong induction of pathogenesis-related proteins. In an ecological context the findings reveal that belowground neighbor detection may occur independently of resource depletion, allowing for a time advantage for the root to prepare for potential interactions.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Belowground neighbor perception in Arabidopsis thaliana studied by transcriptome analysis: roots of Hieracium pilosella cause biotic stress

Schmid¹,

Bauer²,

Müller³

et al. 2013

Front. Plant Sci.

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“…Plants are generally accepted to engage in an RToC based on non-resource mechanisms-concretely plant root recognition (Gersani et al, 2001;Falik et al, 2003;Hodge, 2012;Chen et al, 2020;McNickle, 2020). Nevertheless, the RToC is actually the baseline response of plants to competition that one should expect based on the resource mechanism of competition (see O'Brien & Brown, 2008).…”

Section: The Mechanisms Underlying the Rtocmentioning

confidence: 99%

Root Tragedy of the Commons: What is it and Where Might it Occur?

Cabal¹

2022

Preprint

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Understanding how plants change their root foraging strategy in the presence of neighbors is of paramount importance for plant ecology and agriculture. The root tragedy of the common (RToC) is a plant behavior predicted by game theory models in which competing plants forage for soil resources inefficiently. The RToC is generally assumed to be induced by non-self root recognition, and researchers consider root overproliferation and reduced fitness with respect to a plant growing solo as the trace left by plants engaging in an RToC in experiments and model results. Herein, I first challenge both notions, and argue that the RToC is a suboptimal phenotypically plastic response of plants that is based in soil resource information exclusively. Second, I discuss how this new perspective carries important implications for the design of experiments investigating the physiological mechanisms underlying observable plant root responses. Finally, I discuss why placing the RToC theory in the context of more general root research is fundamental: The RToC represents a mechanistic foundation for understanding the belowground behavior of plants interacting with neighbors, and a spatially explicit approach to RToC may produce more comprehensive results.

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“…The main scenarios that promote root intermingling, rather than root avoidance, have been well-documented, and include: i) kin recognition (intraspecific roots), ii) nitrogen-uptake facilitation (interspecific roots), where N2-fixing plants increase the availability of N to other plants, and iii) patchiness of soil resources (intra-and interspecific roots) where the presence of localised high resource levels (e.g., N) leads to root proliferation (Chen et al 2018;Faget et al 2013;Hodge 2012;). However, it is not known if root intermingling is common when phosphorus (P) is the key limiting nutrient for plant growth, and what the potential benefits of intermingling are.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The potential for phosphorus benefits through root placement in the rhizosphere of phosphorus-mobilising neighbours

et al. 2020

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Plants that produce specialised cluster roots, which mobilise large quantities of poorly-available nutrients such as phosphorus (P), can provide a benefit to neighbouring plants that produce roots in the cluster-rhizosphere, as demonstrated previously in pot studies. To be effective, such roots must be present within the short time of peak cluster activity. We tested if this requirement is met, and quantified potential P benefits, in a hyperdiverse Mediterranean woodland of southwest Australia where cluster-rooted species are prominent. Using minirhizotrons, we monitored root dynamics during the wet season in the natural habitat. We found non-cluster roots intermingling with all 57 of the observed cluster roots of the studied tree species, Banksia attenuata. Almost all (95%) of these cases were observed in a highmoisture treatment simulating the 45-year average, but not present when we intercepted some of the rainfall. We estimate that cluster-root activity can increase P availability to intermingling roots to a theoretical maximum of 80% of total P in the studied soil. Due to their high Premobilisation efficiency (89%), which results from P rapidly being relocated from cluster roots within the plant, senesced Banksia cluster roots are a negligible P source for other roots. We conclude that, rather than serving as a P source, it is the cluster-root activity, particularly the exudation of carboxylates, that may improve the coexistence of interacting species that are capable of root intermingling, thus potentially promoting species diversity in nutrient-poor habitats, and that this mechanism will be less effective in a drying climate.

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Plant Root Interactions

Cited by 4 publications

References 81 publications

Belowground neighbor perception in Arabidopsis thaliana studied by transcriptome analysis: roots of Hieracium pilosella cause biotic stress

Belowground neighbor perception in Arabidopsis thaliana studied by transcriptome analysis: roots of Hieracium pilosella cause biotic stress

Root Tragedy of the Commons: What is it and Where Might it Occur?

The potential for phosphorus benefits through root placement in the rhizosphere of phosphorus-mobilising neighbours

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