A comparison between water uptake and root length density in winter wheat: effects of root density and rhizosphere properties

Zhang, X.X .; Whalley, P. A.; Ashton, R. W.; Evans, J.; Hawkesford, M. J.; Griffiths, S.; Huang, Z. D.; Zhou, H.; Mooney, S. J.; Whalley, W. R.

Abstract

© 2020, The Author(s). Background and aims: We aim to quantify the variation in root distribution in a set of 35 experimental wheat lines. We also compared the effect of variation in hydraulic properties of the rhizosphere on water uptake by roots. Methods: We measured the root length density and soil drying in 35 wheat lines in a field experiment. A 3D numerical model was used to predict soil drying profiles with the different root length distributions and compared with measured soil drying. The model was used to test different scenarios of the hydraulic properties of the rhizosphere. Results: We showed that wheat lines with no detectable differences in root length density can induce soil drying profiles with statistically significant differences. Our data confirmed that a root length density of at least 1cm/cm3 is needed to drain all the available water in soil. In surface layers where the root length density was far greater than 1cm/cm3 water uptake was independent of rooting density due to competition for water. However, in deeper layers where root length density was less than 1cm/cm3, water uptake by roots was proportional to root density. Conclusion: In a set of wheat lines with no detectable differences in the root length density we found significant differences in water uptake. This may be because small differences in root density at depth can result in larger differences in water uptake or that the hydraulic properties of the rhizosphere can greatly affect water uptake.

Citation

Zhang, X. .., Whalley, P. A., Ashton, R. W., Evans, J., Hawkesford, M. J., Griffiths, S., …Whalley, W. R. (2020). A comparison between water uptake and root length density in winter wheat: effects of root density and rhizosphere properties. Plant and Soil, 451, 345-356. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-020-04530-3

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Apr 6, 2020
• Online Publication Date: May 1, 2020
• Publication Date: 2020-06
• Deposit Date: Apr 8, 2020
• Publicly Available Date: May 2, 2021
• Journal: Plant and Soil
• Print ISSN: 0032-079X
• Electronic ISSN: 1573-5036
• Publisher: Springer Verlag
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 451
• Pages: 345-356
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-020-04530-3
• Keywords: Plant Science; Soil Science
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/4270217
• Publisher URL: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11104-020-04530-3