Fibrous root turnover and growth in sugar beet (Beta vulgaris var. saccharifera) as affected by nitrogen shortage

摘要

The root system of plants is subject to fast cycles of renewal and decay within the growing season. In water and/or nutrient stress conditions, this turnover may become strategic for plant survival and productivity, but knowledge about its mechanisms is still insufficient. In order to investigate the effects of nitrogen fertilization on growth and turnover of sugar beet roots, an experiment was carried out over two growing seasons in northern Italy with two levels of N supply (0, 100 kg ha−1). Biomass production and partitioning were followed during growth, and fibrous root dynamics were inspected by means of computer-aided procedures applied to minirhizotron images.