ROOT AS A TRAIT FOR IMPROVING CROP PRODUCTIVITY

KABEYA J. MUAMBA I PhD, CROP PHYSIOLOGY PAL-0036

Introduction
Root study has an array of importance to crop productivity and can contribute to an yield enhancement in agricultural crops, aside its main roles in simplicity such as,

Water uptake Nutrients absorption

Plant anchorage Some years back, Scientists mainly focused on increasing shoot biomass and

seed yield while neglecting or overlooked the relevance of root system for food production.
The world is facing the major challenge of providing food security for an ever growing world population,(Godfray, H.C. et al., 2010) There is a need to look for an alternative approach, rather than the green revolution, to cope with threatening food shoratge

And consequently, central for the plant to reach optimal growth and is sure to contribute to the levels of yield obtained in crops.

 A better understanding of the basic mechanisms of root growth and development is very crucial

 The primary root is formed during embryogenesis

Lateral Roots are derived post-embryonically from the pericycle tissue

Adventitious roots originating from shoot structures Root hairs. extensions of epidermal cells

Root System Architecture (RSA) is highly plastic trait

Molecular mechanisms of RSA are poorly understood. However, number of mutant studies in model plants start to address this issue.

Primary root

hypophysis

Asymmetric cell divisions Leads to diversity of cell types

Rice Root Development as model for monocots

A schematic representation of radicle transverse organization

In rice roots, all tissues originate from the RAM, which is composed of three histogens, A calyptrogen (root cap), A dermatogenperiblem complex (all tissues from epidermis to endodermis), and A plerome (stele tissues) surrounding a putative Rice RAM belongs to the closed meristem type, with structural initial layers arranged in three tiers. 1. First tier made up of the peripheral root cap and columella initial cells, produces the root cap and columella. 2. second tier is made up of epidermisendodermis initial cells. 3. Finally, the last tier is made up of stele initial cells.
The QC size in the RAMs of the four rice root types and in crown roots of different diameters probably differs.

Organization of tissues and a model for cell division in rice root. (a) Median longitudinal section of root tip. (b) Division patterns of the initials that allow re-establishment of identically grouped initials and derivatives, which can form all different tissue layers, are depicted as broken lines.

Cell division pattern of the lateral root cap

Columella initial cells

epidermal endodermal initial cells

a. Columella initials are regenerated through a first anticlinal division (black arrows).

b. Divisions of the epidermisendodermis initials. The dotted double arrow describes the first anticlinal division near the QC that regenerates the initial and produces the epidermis endodermis-derived initial. Eight successive asymmetrical periclinal cell divisions (yellow arrows) follow the first anticlinal division and generate, successively, the epidermisendodermis, sclerenchyma layer, exodermis, and five layers of the cortex.

longitudinal view of a small lateral root

cc - central cells; en - endodermis; pe - pericycle; sc - sclerenchyma layer; ex - exodermis; ep - epidermis. Scale bar 50 m

The same pattern as described for the radicle meristem is observed: Periclinal divisions for columella initials (red arrows), Anticlinal divisions for peripheral root cap initials (white arrows) Three sequential periclinal divisions occur, giving rise to epidermis, exodermis, sclerenchyma, and endodermis (yellow arrows).

In O. sativa, significant genetic variation has been observed in root number, diameter, depth, branching, vertical density distribution, r/s ratio, water extraction, and root penetration
(OToole and Bland 1987; Lafitte et al. 2001).

The pattern of variation reflects the organization of O. sativa in six isozymic groups as described by Glaszmann (1987).
The major differentiation is between isozymic group 1 (indicas), isozymic group 6 (japonicas)

Isozymic group 1 (indicas), A superficial thin root system Highly branched root system With a low R/S ratio

Isozymic group 6 (japonicas) a deep, thick, root system less branched root system with a high R/S ratio.

Most of the diversity is distributed between groups rather than within groups, (Courtois et al. 1996; Lafitte et al. 2001).

Apart from the inherent genetic potential, soil as a medium of growth can have propound impact on the root architecture

Root anatomical adaptations also can play a crucial role in imparting drought tolerance
Submerged roots
Aerenchyma and air spaces

Irrigated condition

Cross sections of root cylinder of rice

Irrigated
Methyl green and Kongo red

Methyl green

Submergence
Methyl green and Kongo red

Kongo red

Measuring root traits

Non-destructive
Hydroponics Agar plates Rhizotrons + growth mapping Mini- or micro-rhizotrons + image collection systems Root mapping on soil columns Three-dimensional imaging

Destructive

Hydroponics
Agar as medium

Problems: Algae grow wild Requires really homogeneous greenhouse

Rhizotrons + growth mapping

J.-L. Drouet et al. / Europ. J. Agronomy 22 (2005) 185193

Mini- or micro-rhizotrons + image collection systems

It consists of a rotating linear scan head, a notebook computer and clear Plexiglas tubes. To obtain an image, insert the scan head into the tube,start the scanning program on the computer. The scan head will automatically rotate a full circle creating a full circle (21.59 19.56 cm) image of the soil and roots.

The scanned color image is displayed on the laptop screen as it is created. The images can be analyzed by varieties of software.

wric.ucdavis.edu/yst/ biology/biology-growth1.html

Root growth mapping on soil columns

Example of roots mapping outside a transparent soil column in black: roots at 12 DAP; in blue at 23 DAP; in red at 30DAP; in green-purple 38DAP

Giuliani et al., unpublished

Three-dimensional imaging
Computer Tomography (CT) based on: 1. X-ray 2. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance 3. g-ray

X-ray CT features
resolution of about 100 m short scanning time low radiation dose system relatively inexpensive (20 000) compared with other tomographic systems

Gregory et al., 2003

Light-transmission

Light transmission imaging of root water uptake in transparent rhizotrons. The lighter the shade of grey, the drier the soil (field of view ~50 100 cm).

Pierret et al., 2003

X-ray
Lupin 1-cm thick, 50 25 cm rhizotron Rhizotron filled with a sandy loam soil homogeneously packed

X-ray imaging of live root systems in rhizotrons: series of images taken at weekly interval demonstrating the technique potential for monitoring root growth.
Pierret et al., 2003

Measuring root traits

Non-destructive method

Destructive method
Excavation Core-break Direct observation

Excavation

Core-break technique

Counting the number of roots that project from the 2 broken surfaces of a soil core in the core-break technique
Taylor et al., 1991