Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Root cortical aerenchyma (RCA) increases water and nutrient acquisition by reducing the metabolic costs of soil exploration. In this study the hypothesis was tested that living cortical area (LCA; transversal root cortical area minus aerenchyma area and intercellular air space) is a better predictor of root respiration, soil exploration and, therefore, drought tolerance than RCA formation or root diameter. METHODS: RCA, LCA, root respiration, root length and biomass loss in response to drought were evaluated in maize (Zea mays) recombinant inbred lines grown with adequate and suboptimal irrigation in soil mesocosms. KEY RESULTS: Root respiration was highly correlated with LCA. LCA was a better predictor of root respiration than either RCA or root diameter. RCA reduced respiration of large-diameter roots. Since RCA and LCA varied in different parts of the root system, the effects of RCA and LCA on root length were complex. Greater crown-root LCA was associated with reduced crown-root length relative to total root length. Reduced LCA was associated with improved drought tolerance. CONCLUSIONS: The results are consistent with the hypothesis that LCA is a driver of root metabolic costs and may therefore have adaptive significance for water acquisition in drying soil.
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Claims 7
Claim · model-written summary
Root respiration correlated strongly with living cortical area.
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“Root respiration was highly correlated with LCA.”
Claim · model-written summary
Living cortical area predicted respiration better than aerenchyma or root diameter.
- Organ / stage
- LCAe0
- Outcome
- root respiratione0
- Direction
- better predictore0
- Comparator
- RCA or root diametere0
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“LCA was a better predictor of root respiration than either RCA or root diameter.”
Claim · model-written summary
Aerenchyma reduced respiration in large-diameter roots.
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“RCA reduced respiration of large-diameter roots.”
Claim · model-written summary
Aerenchyma and living cortical area varied among parts of the root system.
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“RCA and LCA varied in different parts of the root system”
Claim · model-written summary
More crown-root living cortical area was associated with a smaller crown-root fraction of total root length.
- Organ / stage
- crown-root LCAe0
- Outcome
- crown-root length relative to total root lengthe0
- Direction
- reducede0
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“Greater crown-root LCA was associated with reduced crown-root length relative to total root length.”
Claim · model-written summary
Lower living cortical area was associated with better drought tolerance.
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“Reduced LCA was associated with improved drought tolerance.”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors infer that living cortical area drives root metabolic cost and may aid water acquisition in drying soil.
- Organ / stage
- LCAe0
- Outcome
- root metabolic costse0
- Qualifier
- may therefore have adaptive significance for water acquisition in drying soile0
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“LCA is a driver of root metabolic costs and may therefore have adaptive significance for water acquisition in drying soil.”