Aerial roots elevate indoor plant health: physiological and morphological responses of three high-humidity adapted Araceae species to indoor humidity levels

Sheeran, Laura; Rasmussen, Amanda

Abstract

Heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic there has been a global increase in urban greenspace appreciation. Indoor plants are equally important for improving mental health and air quality but despite evolving in humid (sub)tropical environments with aerial root types, planting systems ignore aerial resource supply. This study directly compared nutrient uptake preferences of aerial and soil-formed roots of three common houseplant species under high and ambient relative humidities. Growth and physiology parameters were measured weekly for Anthurium andreanum, Epipremnum aureum and Philodendron scandens grown in custom made growth chambers. Both aerial and soil-formed roots were then fed mixtures of nitrate, ammonium and glycine, with one source labelled with 15N to determine uptake rates and maximum capacities. Aerial roots were consistently better at nitrogen uptake than soil roots but no species, root type or humidity condition showed a preference for a particular nitrogen source. All three species grew more in high humidity, with aerial roots demonstrating the greatest biomass increase. Higher humidities for indoor niches, together with fertiliser applications to aerial roots will support indoor plant growth, creating lush calming indoor environments for people inhabitants.

Citation

Sheeran, L., & Rasmussen, A. (2023). Aerial roots elevate indoor plant health: physiological and morphological responses of three high-humidity adapted Araceae species to indoor humidity levels. Plant, Cell and Environment, 46(6), 1873-1884. https://doi.org/10.1111/pce.14568

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Feb 12, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Feb 14, 2023
• Publication Date: 2023-06
• Deposit Date: Oct 9, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Oct 10, 2023
• Journal: Plant, Cell & Environment
• Print ISSN: 0140-7791
• Electronic ISSN: 1365-3040
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 46
• Issue: 6
• Pages: 1873-1884
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/pce.14568
• Keywords: Adventitious roots; indoor plant health; nitrogen preferences; relative humidity; tropical aroids; whole plant physiology
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/17378519
• Publisher URL: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/pce.14568