(312) Replant Apple Tree Performance, and Rhizotron Observations of Root Development, Distribution, and Survival for Three Rootstock Clones in a New York Orchard

Rhizotron observations enabled us to compare the performance of three apple (Malu ×domestica) rootstock clones following different pre-plant soil treatments in an apple replant study at Ithaca, NY. Trees were planted in Nov. 2001, with one minirhizotron tube per tree in three replicate plots of three rootstocks (M7, CG30, and CG6210), three pre-plant soil treatments (fumigation, compost amendment, and untreated controls), and two planting positions (within the old tree rows, or in the old grass lanes). Monthly root observations were conducted during the 2003 and 2004 growing seasons. There were substantially fewer new roots observed in the first bearing year (2004) than the previous nonbearing year (2003), for all three rootstocks. A root-growth peak in early July accounted for more than 50% of all new roots in 2003, but there was no midsummer root growth peak in 2004. Neither pre-plant soil treatments nor old row or grass-lane planting positions had much influence on root growth. The median lifespan for roots of CG6210 was twice as long as that of CG30 and M7 in 2004. Also, CG6210 had more roots below 30-cm depth, while M7 had more roots from 11–20 cm. Trees grafted on CG6210 were bigger and yielded more fruit in the third year after planting, compared with trees on CG30 and M7 rootstocks. Crop load severely inhibited new root development and changed root-growth dynamics during the first cropping year, with a surge in root growth after fruit harvest in Oct. 2004. Rootstock genotype was the dominant influence on root lifespan and distribution, compared with pre-plant soil fumigation, compost amendments, or replanting positions within the previous orchard rows or grass lanes.

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Effects of controlled-release fertilizers on shoot and root development of outplanted western hemlock (Tsugaheterophylla Raf. Sarg.) seedlings

Canadian Journal of Forest Research ◽

10.1139/x81-107 ◽

1981 ◽

Vol 11 (4) ◽

pp. 752-757 ◽

Cited By ~ 29

Author(s):

William C. Carlson

Keyword(s):

Controlled Release ◽

Root Growth ◽

Root Development ◽

Root Zone ◽

Lateral Roots ◽

Total Weight ◽

Western Hemlock ◽

Seedling Size ◽

Growing Seasons ◽

Controlled Release Fertilizers

Controlled-release fertilizers applied to the root zone of 1-0 plug western hemlock (Tsugaheterophylla Raf. Sarg.) at planting stimulated shoot and root growth in the following two growing seasons. The number and diameter of lateral roots was increased by fertilizing, but fertilizing did not alter the shoot–root ratio. The shoot–root ratio did not increase with an increase in seedling size, height, or total weight.

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Root growth and survivorship in cow manure and compost amended soils

Plant Soil and Environment ◽

10.17221/857/2012-pse ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 59 (No. 5) ◽

pp. 221-226 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

E. Baldi ◽

M. Toselli

Keyword(s):

Root Growth ◽

Prunus Persica ◽

Block Design ◽

Dry Weight ◽

Cow Manure ◽

Root Dynamics ◽

Growth And Survival ◽

Root Lifespan ◽

Growing Seasons ◽

Randomized Block Design

The effect of the application of compost and cow manure on nectarine (Prunus persica L.) root growth and survivorship was investigated in a commercial orchard during the growing seasons 2003, 2004 and 2005. Our main objective was to determine whether compost affects root dynamics differently than cow manure. The experiment was a complete randomized block design with four replicates of two treatments: cow manure and compost applied at planting in 2001 at 10 t dry weight (DW)/ha and from 2004 at the rate of 5 t DW/ha. The compost fertilization represented a yearly rate of 120 kg N/ha, while cow manure was approximately 80 kg N/ha/year. Both root growth and survival were evaluated at 20-day intervals during the growing season by the minirhizotron technique. Cow manure increased the production of new roots compared with compost (P ≤ 0.001). Roots were mainly produced at a depth of 21–40 cm for compost and 61–80 cm for cow manure. The root lifespan was longer in compost than in cow manure treated trees (P ≤ 0.05) and was strongly affected by depth. No differences were observed in root length and diameter.

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Root Dynamics of Apple Rootstocks in a Replanted Orchard

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci.41.5.1149 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 41 (5) ◽

pp. 1149-1155 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Shengrui Yao ◽

Ian A. Merwin ◽

Michael G. Brown

Keyword(s):

Root Growth ◽

Growth Dynamics ◽

Tree Planting ◽

Growth And Yield ◽

Root Dynamics ◽

Apple Rootstocks ◽

Root Characteristics ◽

Apple Replant Disease ◽

Compost Amendment

Root observations in situ with a rhizotron camera enabled us to compare the performance of apple (Malus ×domestica Borkh.) trees on 3 rootstock clones planted in a New York orchard with a history of apple replant disease. Visual observations were conducted in situ at monthly intervals during 2 growing seasons through minirhizotron tubes for trees grafted onto 3 rootstocks: M.7 (M.7), Geneva 30 (G.30), and Cornell-Geneva 6210 (CG.6210). There were 3 preplant soil treatments (fumigation, compost amendment, and untreated checks) and 2 tree planting positions (within the old tree rows or in the old grass lanes of the previous orchard at this site). Preplant soil treatments and old-row versus grass-lane tree planting positions had no apparent influence on root systems, whereas rootstock clones substantially influenced root growth and demography. New root emergence was suppressed during the first fruit-bearing year (2004) on all 3 rootstock clones compared with the previous nonbearing year (2003). A root-growth peak in early July accounted for more than 50% of all new roots in 2003, but there was no midsummer root-growth peak in 2004. The median lifespan for roots of CG.6210 was twice that of G.30 and M.7 in 2004. Also, CG.6210 had more roots below 30 cm depth, whereas M.7 had more roots from 11 to 20 cm depth. Trees on CG.6210 were bigger, yielded more fruit, and had the highest yield efficiency in the third year after planting compared with trees on G.30 and M.7 rootstocks. Crop load appeared to inhibit new root development and changed root-growth dynamics during the first bearing year, with a resurgence in new root growth after fruit was harvested in October 2004. Rootstock genotype was the dominant influence on root lifespan and distribution in this study, whereas preplant soil fumigation, compost amendments, and replanting positions had little apparent impact on root characteristics despite their influence on above-ground tree growth and yield.

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Root Development of Bell Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) as Affected by Water Salinity and Sink Strength

Plants ◽

10.3390/plants9010035 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 35 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ran Erel ◽

Thuc T. Le ◽

Amram Eshel ◽

Shabtai Cohen ◽

Rivka Offenbach ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Root Growth ◽

Root Development ◽

Growth Dynamics ◽

Bell Pepper ◽

Sink Strength ◽

Growth Monitoring ◽

Acclimation Period ◽

Salinity Levels ◽

Fruit Load ◽

Root Capacitance

Fruits are the dominant sinks for assimilates. At optimal conditions, assimilates supply can meet the demand of fruits and those of the vegetative organs; however, extreme circumstances such as strong sink strength or an environmental stress may disturb this fine balance. While most studies focus on aboveground parameters, information regarding root growth dynamics under variable sink strength are scarce. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of sink strength (represented by fruit load) and salinity on bell-pepper root development. Three levels of fruit load were combined with two salinity levels in plants grown in an aeroponic system. Root growth was determined both by root capacitance and destructive measurements. Salinity and sink strength significantly affected root, shoot and fruit growth dynamics. Root growth was less affected by fruit load. Salinity stress was negatively associated with shoot growth, but after an acclimation period, salinity enhanced root development. Additionally, this study shows for the first time that root capacitance is a valid approach for non-destructive measurement of root development in aeroponic systems. The good correlation measured by us (r2 0.86) opens new opportunities for continuous root growth monitoring in aeroponic systems in the future.

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Influence of Pruning and Irrigation on Root Longevity of `Concord' Vines

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci.33.3.511a ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 33 (3) ◽

pp. 511a-511

Author(s):

L.H. Comas ◽

D.M. Eissenstat ◽

A.N. Lakso ◽

R. Dunst

Keyword(s):

Fine Roots ◽

Fine Root ◽

Cultural Practices ◽

Growing Season ◽

Root Production ◽

Root Dynamics ◽

Supplemental Irrigation ◽

Root Longevity ◽

Root Lifespan ◽

Median Lifespan

Improved cultural practices in grape require a better understanding of root growth and physiology. Seasonal root dynamics were examined in mature `Concord' vines with balanced or minimal-pruning, and with or without supplemental irrigation in Fredonia, N.Y. Fine roots were continuously produced during the growing season starting in mid-June around time of bloom. Roots began to die in September at verasion. Minimal-pruned vines produced more roots than balanced-pruned vines, with the minimal-pruned/unirrigated vines producing the most roots. Irrigation and pruning delayed fine root production at the beginning of the growing season. Peak fine root flush was 16 June to 21 July 1997 for the minimal-pruned/unirrigated treatment, while peak flush was 7 July to 2 Sept. 1997 for balanced-pruned/irrigated treatment. In minimal-pruned vines, many roots were observed down to depths of 120 cm. In contrast, balanced-pruned vines had very few fine roots deeper than 40 cm. From initial observations, median lifespan of fine roots was 5 to 9.5 weeks, depending on treatment and depth in soil. Fine roots lived longer in the top 15-cm than in the 16- to 30-cm layer of soil in all treatments. Both minimal pruning and irrigation increased root lifespan. Fine roots had the shortest lifespan in the balanced-pruned/unirrigated treatment and the longest lifespan in the minimal-pruned/irrigated treatment.

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A low-cost aeroponic phenotyping system for storage root development: unravelling the below-ground secrets of cassava (Manihot esculenta)

Plant Methods ◽

10.1186/s13007-019-0517-6 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 15 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Michael Gomez Selvaraj ◽

Maria Elker Montoya-P ◽

John Atanbori ◽

Andrew P. French ◽

Tony Pridmore

Keyword(s):

Root Growth ◽

Root Development ◽

Low Cost ◽

Root Traits ◽

Suitable Model ◽

Root Initiation ◽

Storage Root ◽

Economic Traits ◽

Storage Roots ◽

Storage Root Development

Abstract Background Root and tuber crops are becoming more important for their high source of carbohydrates, next to cereals. Despite their commercial impact, there are significant knowledge gaps about the environmental and inherent regulation of storage root (SR) differentiation, due in part to the innate problems of studying storage roots and the lack of a suitable model system for monitoring storage root growth. The research presented here aimed to develop a reliable, low-cost effective system that enables the study of the factors influencing cassava storage root initiation and development. Results We explored simple, low-cost systems for the study of storage root biology. An aeroponics system described here is ideal for real-time monitoring of storage root development (SRD), and this was further validated using hormone studies. Our aeroponics-based auxin studies revealed that storage root initiation and development are adaptive responses, which are significantly enhanced by the exogenous auxin supply. Field and histological experiments were also conducted to confirm the auxin effect found in the aeroponics system. We also developed a simple digital imaging platform to quantify storage root growth and development traits. Correlation analysis confirmed that image-based estimation can be a surrogate for manual root phenotyping for several key traits. Conclusions The aeroponic system developed from this study is an effective tool for examining the root architecture of cassava during early SRD. The aeroponic system also provided novel insights into storage root formation by activating the auxin-dependent proliferation of secondary xylem parenchyma cells to induce the initial root thickening and bulking. The developed system can be of direct benefit to molecular biologists, breeders, and physiologists, allowing them to screen germplasm for root traits that correlate with improved economic traits.

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Lateral Root Priming Synergystically Arises from Root Growth and Auxin Transport Dynamics

10.1101/361709 ◽

2018 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Thea van den Berg ◽

Kirsten H. ten Tusscher

Keyword(s):

Cell Cycle ◽

Root Growth ◽

Lateral Root ◽

Root Formation ◽

Growth Dynamics ◽

Root Tip ◽

Cycle Duration ◽

Elongation Zone ◽

Lateral Root Formation ◽

Cell Cycle Duration

AbstractThe root system is a major determinant of plant fitness. Its capacity to supply the plant with sufficient water and nutrients strongly depends on root system architecture, which arises from the repeated branching off of lateral roots. A critical first step in lateral root formation is priming, which prepatterns sites competent of forming a lateral root. Priming is characterized by temporal oscillations in auxin, auxin signalling and gene expression in the root meristem, which through growth become transformed into a spatially repetitive pattern of competent sites. Previous studies have demonstrated the importance of auxin synthesis, transport and perception for the amplitude of these oscillations and their chances of producing an actual competent site. Additionally, repeated lateral root cap apoptosis was demonstrated to be strongly correlated with repetitive lateral root priming. Intriguingly, no single mutation has been identified that fully abolishes lateral root formation, and thusfar the mechanism underlying oscillations has remained unknown. In this study, we investigated the impact of auxin reflux loop properties combined with root growth dynamics on priming, using a computational approach. To this end we developed a novel multi-scale root model incorporating a realistic root tip architecture and reflux loop properties as well as root growth dynamics. Excitingly, in this model, repetitive auxin elevations automatically emerge. First, we show that root tip architecture and reflux loop properties result in an auxin loading zone at the start of the elongation zone, with preferential auxin loading in narrow vasculature cells. Second, we demonstrate how meristematic root growth dynamics causes regular alternations in the sizes of cells arriving at the elongation zone, which subsequently become amplified during cell expansion. These cell size differences translate into differences in cellular auxin loading potential. Combined, these properties result in temporal and spatial fluctuations in auxin levels in vasculature and pericycle cells. Our model predicts that temporal priming frequency predominantly depends on cell cycle duration, while cell cycle duration together with meristem size control lateral root spacing.

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Genetic variability for root morph-architecture traits and root growth dynamics as related to phosphorus efficiency in soybean

Functional Plant Biology ◽

10.1071/fp09215 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 37 (4) ◽

pp. 304 ◽

Cited By ~ 49

Author(s):

Junhua Ao ◽

Jiabing Fu ◽

Jiang Tian ◽

Xiaolong Yan ◽

Hong Liao

Keyword(s):

Genetic Variability ◽

Root Growth ◽

Recombinant Inbred Lines ◽

Growth Dynamics ◽

Root Traits ◽

Phosphorus Efficiency ◽

P Efficiency ◽

Glycine Max L ◽

Positive Correlations

Root morphology and architecture are believed to be important for plant phosphorus (P) efficiency, but their genetic information is relatively scarce. In the present study, a field and a specially designed minirhizotron experiments were conducted using two soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.) genotypes and their 88 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) to elucidate the genetic variability for root morph-architecture traits and root growth dynamics as related to P efficiency in soybean. The results indicated that the root morph-architecture traits were continually segregated in the RILs with a normal distribution, indicating which are possibly controlled by quantitative trait loci. Significantly positive correlations were found between root and P traits, suggesting feasibility of screening P efficient genotype through simple selection of root traits in field. Most root morph-architecture traits were closely correlated, showing a coordinating contribution to P efficiency. Furthermore, root morphological traits always had higher heritability than architecture traits, thus, could serve as more reliable index in field selection. The dynamic parameters of root growth from the minirhizotron experiment showed that the P efficient genotype established longer and larger root system with preferring distribution in surface layer and also kept more active roots, therefore, had a better growth performance in field, than the P-inefficient genotype. Taken together, this is the first report on in situ root growth dynamics and its relation to P efficiency using minirhizotron systems in crops. Our findings help to better understand the relationships between P efficiency and root traits and, thus, facilitate development of P efficient genotypes in crops.

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