Use of GROWSCREEN-Rhizo boxes allowed detection of useful differences in root response to water deficit in faba bean (Vicia faba L.)

摘要

Improving drought tolerance of crops will sustain the supply of food and feed in the face of increasing temperature and demand for water. Sources of tolerance are sought in the available germplasm pool and further characterized using phenotyping and genotyping techniques. Reaction to drought is affected by root traits that are difficult to phenotype in ordinary circumstances. Hence, to allow imaging of root zone, eight faba bean accessions were grown in automated phenotyping platform GROWSCREEN-Rhizo, in peat-based medium for 4 weeks in a split-plot design, under well watered and water limited conditions, with four replicates. Tap root length was reduced by drought from a minimum of 30% in DS70622 to a maximum of 77% in DS74573, showing genotype bytreatment interaction. Drought limited the length of lateral roots too. DS70622 and DS11320 avoided water deficit by increased taproot length, root system depth and width. Use of GROWSCREEN-Rhizo allowed detection of root variation in response to drought.