Under water and phosphorus (P) coupled stresses, root architecture may be related to P acquisition efficiency of plants. Understanding the relationship between root architecture and P acquisition efficiency may provid...Under water and phosphorus (P) coupled stresses, root architecture may be related to P acquisition efficiency of plants. Understanding the relationship between root architecture and P acquisition efficiency may provide basic information for improving P acquisition efficiency of plants. In the present study, we quantitatively described the effects of root architecture on P acquisition efficiency by computer simulation together with controlled biological experiments so as to determine an ideal root architecture for efficient P acquisition under water and P coupled stresses. Our results indicate that under given soil water conditions, the ideal root architecture for P acquisition efficiency of a tap root plant (as represented by common bean) is an 搖mbrella-shape?root system whose basal roots tend to be shallow in the P-rich topsoil and tap roots tend to be deep for water in the subsoil. Meanwhile, the ideal root architecture for a fibrous root plant (as represented by upland rice) is a beard-shape?root system with the moderately dispersed yet uniformly distributed adventitious and lateral roots so as to keep most roots in the topsoil for P and a few roots in the subsoil for water.展开更多
基金This work wassupported by the National Key Basic Research Special Funds of China (Grant No. G1999011700) the National Outstanding Youth Foundation (Grant No. 39925025) the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 30070441).
文摘Under water and phosphorus (P) coupled stresses, root architecture may be related to P acquisition efficiency of plants. Understanding the relationship between root architecture and P acquisition efficiency may provide basic information for improving P acquisition efficiency of plants. In the present study, we quantitatively described the effects of root architecture on P acquisition efficiency by computer simulation together with controlled biological experiments so as to determine an ideal root architecture for efficient P acquisition under water and P coupled stresses. Our results indicate that under given soil water conditions, the ideal root architecture for P acquisition efficiency of a tap root plant (as represented by common bean) is an 搖mbrella-shape?root system whose basal roots tend to be shallow in the P-rich topsoil and tap roots tend to be deep for water in the subsoil. Meanwhile, the ideal root architecture for a fibrous root plant (as represented by upland rice) is a beard-shape?root system with the moderately dispersed yet uniformly distributed adventitious and lateral roots so as to keep most roots in the topsoil for P and a few roots in the subsoil for water.