Abstract
The role of a plant root system in resource acquisition is relevant to confront drought events caused by climate change. Accordingly, nursery practices like phosphorous (P) fertilization and root pruning have been shown to modify root architecture; however, their combined benefits require further investigation in Mediterranean species. We evaluated the effect of applied P concentrations (0, 15, 60, and 120 mg L−1 P) with or without chemical (copper) root pruning (WCu, WoCu, respectively) in Aristotelia chilensis and Quillaja saponaria on morpho-physiological and root architecture traits. Higher P concentration increased nutrient content in both species concurrent with higher growth. In A. chilensis, higher P concentrations only increased the length and volume of medium roots. In Q. saponaria, P additions increased root length and diameter and the length and volume of fine and medium roots. The root-to-shoot ratio declined with WCu in A. chilensis (23.1%) and Q. saponaria (15.7%). Unlike our hypothesis, fine root architecture remained unaffected with root pruning in A. chilensis, while fine root length and volume decreased with increasing P concentrations in Q. saponaria. Thus, P fertilization enhances root development more consistently than root pruning, highlighting the need for further testing under water deficit conditions to optimize nursery practices.
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Claims 10
Claim · model-written summary
Higher P concentration increased nutrient content in both species.
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Higher P concentration increased nutrient content in both species”
Claim · model-written summary
Higher P concentration was accompanied by higher growth in both species.
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Higher P concentration increased nutrient content in both species concurrent with higher growth”
Claim · model-written summary
In Aristotelia chilensis, higher P concentrations only increased the length and volume of medium roots.
- Taxon
- A. chilensis
Aristotelia chilensise0 - Treatment
- higher P concentrationse0
- Outcome
- length and volume of medium rootse0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“In A. chilensis, higher P concentrations only increased the length and volume of medium roots”
Claim · model-written summary
In Quillaja saponaria, P additions increased root length and diameter.
- Taxon
- Q. saponaria
Quillaja saponariae0 - Treatment
- P additionse0
- Outcome
- root length and diametere0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“In Q. saponaria, P additions increased root length and diameter”
Claim · model-written summary
In Quillaja saponaria, P additions increased the length and volume of fine and medium roots.
- Taxon
- Q. saponariaQuillaja saponariae0
- Treatment
- P additionse0
- Outcome
- the length and volume of fine and medium rootse0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“In Q. saponaria, P additions increased root length and diameter and the length and volume of fine and medium roots”
Claim · model-written summary
Chemical (copper) root pruning reduced the root-to-shoot ratio of Aristotelia chilensis by 23.1%.
- Taxon
- A. chilensisAristotelia chilensise0
- Treatment
- WCue0
- Outcome
- root-to-shoot ratioe0
- Direction
- declinede0
- Value
- 23.1%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The root-to-shoot ratio declined with WCu in A. chilensis (23.1%) and Q. saponaria (15.7%)”
Claim · model-written summary
Chemical (copper) root pruning reduced the root-to-shoot ratio of Quillaja saponaria by 15.7%.
- Taxon
- Q. saponariaQuillaja saponariae0
- Treatment
- WCue0
- Outcome
- root-to-shoot ratioe0
- Direction
- declinede0
- Value
- 15.7%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The root-to-shoot ratio declined with WCu in A. chilensis (23.1%) and Q. saponaria (15.7%)”
Claim · model-written summary
Fine root architecture of Aristotelia chilensis remained unaffected by root pruning.
- Taxon
- A. chilensisAristotelia chilensise0
- Treatment
- root pruninge0
- Outcome
- fine root architecturee0
- Direction
- unaffectede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“fine root architecture remained unaffected with root pruning in A. chilensis”
Claim · model-written summary
In Quillaja saponaria, fine root length and volume decreased with increasing P concentrations.
- Taxon
- Q. saponariaQuillaja saponariae0
- Treatment
- increasing P concentrationse0
- Outcome
- fine root length and volumee0
- Direction
- decreasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“fine root length and volume decreased with increasing P concentrations in Q. saponaria”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors conclude that P fertilization enhances root development more consistently than root pruning.
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“P fertilization enhances root development more consistently than root pruning”