X-Ray Computed Tomography Reveals the Response of Root System Architecture to Soil Texture

摘要

Root system architecture () impacts plant fitness and crop yield by facilitating efficient nutrient and water uptake from the soil. A better understanding of the effects of soil on could improve crop productivity by matching roots to their soil environment. We used x-ray computed tomography to perform a detailed three-dimensional quantification of changes in rice (Oryza sativa) in response to the physical properties of a granular substrate. We characterized the of eight rice cultivars in five different growth substrates and determined that is the result of interactions between genotype and growth environment. We identified cultivar-specific changes in in response to changing growth substrate texture. The cultivar Azucena exhibited low plasticity in all growth substrates, whereas cultivar Bala root depth was a function of soil hardness. Our imaging techniques provide a framework to study in different growth environments, the results of which can be used to improve root traits with agronomic potential.