Root Phenotypes of Plants in Different Growth Environment
A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Innovative Cropping Systems".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2022) | Viewed by 2379
Special Issue Editors
Interests: root growth; water uptake by the roots; root morphology; root topology, rooting depth; rhizosphere; abiotic stress
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The constant pressure of anthropogenic activity on the agricultural environment induces changes that are especially persistent in soil. Agriculture induces changes in the soil environment that often modify or restrict the growth and functioning of roots, e.g., soil compaction, changes in the soil structure affecting the soil’s water-holding capacity, soil acidification, a decrease in soil organic matter, the alteration of microbial activity, and heterogeneous distribution of soil water and nutrients. These effects are aggravated by the intensification of agricultural practices. However, root growth and functions are simultaneously affected by environmental factors, with fluctuations in water availability and increased drought frequency under climate change as the most devastating factors for crop yields and productivity. In typical conditions (a specific level of the stressor), crop roots can cope with such challenges through specific root phenotypic plasticity reflected in a modified structure, spatial distribution, and morphology.
The analysis of root responses to growth conditions is difficult due to the high spatial and temporal heterogeneity of soil accompanied by the laborious and time-consuming nature of measurements of roots. Moreover, in natural conditions, plants are hardly ever subjected to a single constraint. Many factors influencing roots occur simultaneously, or the intensity of stimulants changes over time, as in the case of drought. Due to their nature, the action of some stressors is directly linked to other factors, e.g., limited nutrient availability resulting from lower water uptake under drought.
The elucidation of the complexity of the processes and the responses of roots to a single factor or a specific combination of more factors is possible in laboratory conditions with precise control of the duration and levels of stressors. Laboratory conditions are suitable for the comparison of various factors, but it is very difficult or almost impossible to reflect field conditions with their specific variability, heterogeneity, and unlimited growth environment.
Root phenotypes are a potential target for breeding new more productive crop varieties especially suited to unfavorable growth conditions. On the other hand, the natural plant plasticity results in a plethora of responses to soil heterogeneity.
Thus, we encourage the submission of results of studies on multiple aspects of root responses to soil conditions conducted in both controlled and field conditions and studies that will help in our understanding of the processes at the interface between soil and the root surface.
Dr. Artur Nosalewicz
Prof. Dr. Jerzy Lipiec
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- root plasticity
- root morphology
- root topology
- rooting depth
- rhizosphere
- abiotic stress
- soil drought
- soil nutrients
