Root pruning improves maize water-use efficiency by root water absorption
Root systems are an important component of plants that impact crop water-use efficiency (WUE) and yield. This study examined the effects of root pruning on maize yield, WUE, and water uptake under pot and hydroponic conditions. The pot experiment showed that root pruning significantly decreased root...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Plant Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2022.1023088/full |
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| author | Minfei Yan Minfei Yan Cong Zhang Cong Zhang Hongbing Li Li Zhang Yuanyuan Ren Yinglong Chen Yinglong Chen Huanjie Cai Suiqi Zhang |
| author_facet | Minfei Yan Minfei Yan Cong Zhang Cong Zhang Hongbing Li Li Zhang Yuanyuan Ren Yinglong Chen Yinglong Chen Huanjie Cai Suiqi Zhang |
| author_sort | Minfei Yan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Root systems are an important component of plants that impact crop water-use efficiency (WUE) and yield. This study examined the effects of root pruning on maize yield, WUE, and water uptake under pot and hydroponic conditions. The pot experiment showed that root pruning significantly decreased root/shoot ratio. Both small root pruning (cut off about 1/5 of the root system, RP1) and large root pruning (cut off about 1/3 of the root system, RP2) improved WUE and root hydraulic conductivity (Lpr) in the residual root system. Compared with that in the un-cut control, at the jointing stage, RP1 and RP2 increased Lpr by 43.9% and 31.5% under well-watered conditions and 27.4% and 19.8% under drought stress, respectively. RP1 increased grain yield by 12.9% compared with that in the control under well-watered conditions, whereas both pruning treatments did not exhibit a significant effect on yield under drought stress. The hydroponic experiment demonstrated that root pruning did not reduce leaf water potential but increased residual root hydraulic conductivity by 26.2% at 48 h after root pruning under well-watered conditions. The foregoing responses may be explained by the upregulation of plasma membrane intrinsic protein gene and increases in abscisic acid and jasmonic acid in roots. Increased auxin and salicylic acid contributed to the compensated lateral root growth. In conclusion, root pruning improved WUE in maize by root water uptake. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T01:07:03Z |
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| id | doaj.art-fc378e80a7f74e9b81d96f5ebc9fd33b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-462X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T01:07:03Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
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| series | Frontiers in Plant Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-fc378e80a7f74e9b81d96f5ebc9fd33b2023-01-04T12:29:07ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Plant Science1664-462X2023-01-011310.3389/fpls.2022.10230881023088Root pruning improves maize water-use efficiency by root water absorptionMinfei Yan0Minfei Yan1Cong Zhang2Cong Zhang3Hongbing Li4Li Zhang5Yuanyuan Ren6Yinglong Chen7Yinglong Chen8Huanjie Cai9Suiqi Zhang10State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, Yangling, Shaanxi, ChinaCollege of Forestry, Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, Yangling, Shaanxi, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, Yangling, Shaanxi, ChinaCollege of Forestry, Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, Yangling, Shaanxi, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, Yangling, Shaanxi, ChinaSchool of Pharmacy, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, ChinaGeography and Environmental Engineering Department, Baoji University of Arts and Sciences, Baoji, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, Yangling, Shaanxi, ChinaThe University of Western Australia Institute of Agriculture, and University of Western Australia School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, AustraliaKey Laboratory of Agricultural Soil and Water Engineering in Arid and Semiarid Areas, Ministry of Education, Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, Yangling, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, Yangling, Shaanxi, ChinaRoot systems are an important component of plants that impact crop water-use efficiency (WUE) and yield. This study examined the effects of root pruning on maize yield, WUE, and water uptake under pot and hydroponic conditions. The pot experiment showed that root pruning significantly decreased root/shoot ratio. Both small root pruning (cut off about 1/5 of the root system, RP1) and large root pruning (cut off about 1/3 of the root system, RP2) improved WUE and root hydraulic conductivity (Lpr) in the residual root system. Compared with that in the un-cut control, at the jointing stage, RP1 and RP2 increased Lpr by 43.9% and 31.5% under well-watered conditions and 27.4% and 19.8% under drought stress, respectively. RP1 increased grain yield by 12.9% compared with that in the control under well-watered conditions, whereas both pruning treatments did not exhibit a significant effect on yield under drought stress. The hydroponic experiment demonstrated that root pruning did not reduce leaf water potential but increased residual root hydraulic conductivity by 26.2% at 48 h after root pruning under well-watered conditions. The foregoing responses may be explained by the upregulation of plasma membrane intrinsic protein gene and increases in abscisic acid and jasmonic acid in roots. Increased auxin and salicylic acid contributed to the compensated lateral root growth. In conclusion, root pruning improved WUE in maize by root water uptake.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2022.1023088/fullabscisic acidjasmonic acidleaf water potentialroot hydraulic conductivityroot pruning |
| spellingShingle | Minfei Yan Minfei Yan Cong Zhang Cong Zhang Hongbing Li Li Zhang Yuanyuan Ren Yinglong Chen Yinglong Chen Huanjie Cai Suiqi Zhang Root pruning improves maize water-use efficiency by root water absorption Frontiers in Plant Science abscisic acid jasmonic acid leaf water potential root hydraulic conductivity root pruning |
| title | Root pruning improves maize water-use efficiency by root water absorption |
| title_full | Root pruning improves maize water-use efficiency by root water absorption |
| title_fullStr | Root pruning improves maize water-use efficiency by root water absorption |
| title_full_unstemmed | Root pruning improves maize water-use efficiency by root water absorption |
| title_short | Root pruning improves maize water-use efficiency by root water absorption |
| title_sort | root pruning improves maize water use efficiency by root water absorption |
| topic | abscisic acid jasmonic acid leaf water potential root hydraulic conductivity root pruning |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2022.1023088/full |
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