How changing root system architecture can help tackle a reduction in soil phosphate (P) levels for better plant P acquisition
Type
ArticleAuthors
HEPPELL, J.
TALBOYS, P.
PAYVANDI, S.
ZYGALAKIS, K. C.
FLIEGE, J.
WITHERS, P. J. A.
JONES, D. L.
ROOSE, T.
KAUST Grant Number
KUK-C1-013-04Date
2014-06-24Online Publication Date
2014-06-24Print Publication Date
2015-01Permanent link to this record
http://hdl.handle.net/10754/598516
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© 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. The readily available global rock phosphate (P) reserves may run out within the next 50-130 years, causing soils to have a reduced P concentration which will affect plant P uptake. Using a combination of mathematical modelling and experimental data, we investigated potential plant-based options for optimizing crop P uptake in reduced soil P environments. By varying the P concentration within a well-mixed agricultural soil, for high and low P (35.5-12.5mgL-1 respectively using Olsen's P index), we investigated branching distributions within a wheat root system that maximize P uptake. Changing the root branching distribution from linear (evenly spaced branches) to strongly exponential (a greater number of branches at the top of the soil) improves P uptake by 142% for low-P soils when root mass is kept constant between simulations. This causes the roots to emerge earlier and mimics topsoil foraging. Manipulating root branching patterns, to maximize P uptake, is not enough on its own to overcome the drop in soil P from high to low P. Further mechanisms have to be considered to fully understand the impact of P reduction on plant development.Citation
HEPPELL J, TALBOYS P, PAYVANDI S, ZYGALAKIS KC, FLIEGE J, et al. (2014) How changing root system architecture can help tackle a reduction in soil phosphate (P) levels for better plant P acquisition. Plant Cell Environ 38: 118–128. Available: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/pce.12376.Sponsors
We would like to thank the BBSRC and DEFRA (BB/I024283/1) for funding S.P. and The Royal Society University Research Fellowship for funding T.R. K.C.Z. was partially funded by Award No. KUK-C1-013-04 of the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST); J.F. by EPSRC and CORMSIS; J.H. by EPSRC Complexity DTC (EP/G03690X/1); and S.P., P.T., D.L.J. and T.R. by DEFRA, BBSRC, Scottish Government, AHDB, and other industry partners through Sustainable Arable LINK Project LK09136. We would also like to thank two anonymous reviewers for their insightful comments that improved the manuscript.Publisher
WileyJournal
Plant, Cell & EnvironmentPubMed ID
24891045ae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1111/pce.12376
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