Abstract
There is interest in discovering root traits associated with acclimation to nutrient stress. Large root systems, such as in adult maize, have proven difficult to be phenotyped comprehensively and over time, causing target traits to be missed. These challenges were overcome here using aeroponics, a system where roots grow in the air misted with a nutrient solution. Applying an agriculturally relevant degree of low nitrogen (LN) stress, 30-day-old plants responded by increasing lengths of individual crown roots (CRs) by 63%, compensated by a 40% decline in CR number. LN increased the CR elongation rate rather than lengthening the duration of CR growth. Only younger CR were significantly responsive to LN stress, a novel finding. LN shifted the root system architectural balance, increasing the lateral root (LR)-to-CR ratio, adding ∼70 m to LR length. LN caused a dramatic increase in second-order LR density, not previously reported in adult maize. Despite the near-uniform aeroponics environment, LN induced increased variation in the relative lengths of opposing LR pairs. Large-scale analysis of root hairs (RHs) showed that LN decreased RH length and density. Time-course experiments suggested the RH responses may be indirect consequences of decreased biomass/demand under LN. These results identify novel root traits for genetic dissection.
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Claims 11
Claim · model-written summary
Low nitrogen increased individual crown root length by 63%.
- Treatment
- low nitrogen stresst0
- Outcome
- lengths of individual crown roots (CRs)e0
- Direction
- increasinge0
- Value
- 63%e0
Zea maysNot reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“30-day-old plants responded by increasing lengths of individual crown roots (CRs) by 63%”
t0“maize (Zea mays L.) in response to low nitrogen stress”
Claim · model-written summary
Low nitrogen decreased crown root number by 40%.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“compensated by a 40% decline in CR number.”
t0“maize (Zea mays L.) in response to low nitrogen stress”
Claim · model-written summary
Low nitrogen increased crown root elongation rate rather than growth duration.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“LN increased the CR elongation rate rather than lengthening the duration of CR growth.”
t0“maize (Zea mays L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Low nitrogen did not lengthen crown root growth duration.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“LN increased the CR elongation rate rather than lengthening the duration of CR growth.”
t0“maize (Zea mays L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Only younger crown roots were significantly responsive to low nitrogen.
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Only younger CR were significantly responsive to LN stress, a novel finding.”
t0“maize (Zea mays L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Low nitrogen increased the lateral-root-to-crown-root ratio.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“LN shifted the root system architectural balance, increasing the lateral root (LR)-to-CR ratio, adding ∼70 m to LR length.”
t0“maize (Zea mays L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Low nitrogen added approximately 70 m to lateral root length.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“LN shifted the root system architectural balance, increasing the lateral root (LR)-to-CR ratio, adding ∼70 m to LR length.”
t0“maize (Zea mays L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Low nitrogen increased second-order lateral root density.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“LN caused a dramatic increase in second-order LR density, not previously reported in adult maize.”
Claim · model-written summary
Low nitrogen increased variation in lengths of opposing lateral root pairs.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“LN induced increased variation in the relative lengths of opposing LR pairs.”
t0“maize (Zea mays L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Low nitrogen decreased root hair length and density.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“LN decreased RH length and density.”
t0“maize (Zea mays L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Root hair responses may be indirect effects of lower biomass or demand under low nitrogen.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Time-course experiments suggested the RH responses may be indirect consequences of decreased biomass/demand under LN.”
t0“maize (Zea mays L.)”
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