Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A quantitative analysis of root distortion from contrasting wheat cropping systems

  • Regular Article
  • Published:
Plant and Soil Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Aims

The objective of this study was to analyse root distortion and root types in contrasting wheat cropping systems, and to determine their impact on yield.

Methods

Two field experiments with contrasting soils (structured vs poorly structured) were conducted using two tillage treatments (no-tillage, NT and conventional-tillage, CT), 4 straw mulch additions (0, 0.5, 2.5 and 5 t ha−1) and 3 N application rates (0, 25 and 100 kg ha−1). A novel methodology to describe root distortion was developed using vector geometry. Root length (RL), root distortion rate (RDR) and percentage of root types were the root parameters measured.

Results

In structured soil, NT had lower RL (127 cm vs 184 cm), but higher RDR (36 ° cm−1 vs 26 ° cm−1) than CT, while the differences were not significant in unstructured soil. Heavy straw mulch reduced nodal roots (Nodal% 6.2 % vs 8.0 %) in both experiments. High N addition increased RL and RDR, but reduced Nodal% compared with low or no N application. RDR and Nodal% were positively correlated to grain weight, stem biomass, photosynthetic rate and stomatal conductance (r = 0.71 to 0.80).

Conclusions

Higher RDR in the NT system in structured soil or greater Nodal% in low/medium straw mulch in the unstructured soil positively affected photosynthesis and biomass production.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alvarez R, Steinbach HS (2009) A review of the effects of tillage systems on some soil physical properties, water content, nitrate availability and crops yield in the Argentine Pampas. Soil Tillage Res 104:1–15

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bingham IJ, Bengough AG (2003) Morphological plasticity of wheat and barley roots in response to spatial variation in soil strength. Plant Soil 250:273–282

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chakraborty D, Garg RN, Tomar RK, Singh R, Sharma SK, Singh RK, Trivedi SM, Mittal RB, Sharma PK, Kamble KH (2010) Synthetic and organic mulching and nitrogen effect on winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in a semi-arid environment. Agric Water Manag 97:738–748

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Devitt DA, Smith SD (2002) Root channel macropores enhance downward movement of water in a Mojave Desert ecosystem. J Arid Environ 50:99–108

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Drew M, Saker L, Ashley T (1973) Nutrient supply and the growth of the seminal root system in barley I. The effect of nitrate concentration on the growth of axes and laterals. J Exp Bot 24:1189–1202

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Feng FX, Huang GB, Chai Q, Yu AZ (2010) Tillage and Straw management impacts on soil properties, root growth, and grain yield of winter wheat in Northwestern China. Crop Sci 50:1465–1473

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gregory PJ, Atkinson CJ, Bengough AG, Else MA, Fernandez-Fernandez F, Harrison RJ, Schmidt S (2013) Contributions of roots and rootstocks to sustainable, intensified crop production. J Exp Bot 64:1209–1222

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Guan DH, Al-Kaisi MM, Zhang YS, Duan LS, Tan WM, Zhang MC, Li ZH (2014) Tillage practices affect biomass and grain yield through regulating root growth, root-bleeding sap and nutrients uptake in summer maize. Field Crop Res 157:89–97

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hodge A (2004) The plastic plant: root responses to heterogeneous supplies of nutrients. New Phytol 162:9–24

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hodge A (2006) Plastic plants and patchy soils. J Exp Bot 57:401–411

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Isbell RF (2002) The Australian soil classification. Revised edn. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne

  • Kirkegaard JA, Lilley JM, Howe GN, Graham JM (2007) Impact of subsoil water use on wheat yield. Aust J Agric Res 58:303–315

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Krassovsky I (1926) Physiological activity of the seminal and nodal roots of crop plants. Soil Sci 21:307

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lynch JP, Brown KM (2012) New roots for agriculture: exploiting the root phenome. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 367:1598–1604

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Maizlish NA, Fritton DD, Kendall WA (1980) Root morphology and early development of maize at varying levels of nitrogen. Agron J 72:25–31

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Masle J, Passioura JB (1987) The effect of soil strength on the growth of young wheat plants. Aust J Plant Physiol 14:643–656

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morell FJ, Cantero-Martinez C, Alvaro-Fuentes J, Lampurlanes J (2011) Root growth of Barley as affected by tillage systems and nitrogen fertilization in a semiarid Mediterranean agroecosystem. Agron J 103:1270–1275

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mosaddeghi MR, Mahboubi AA, Safadoust A (2009) Short-term effects of tillage and manure on some soil physical properties and maize root growth in a sandy loam soil in western Iran. Soil Tillage Res 104:173–179

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mulholland BJ, Hussain A, Black CR, Taylor IB, Roberts JA (1999) Does root-sourced ABA have a role in mediating growth and stomatal responses to soil compaction in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum)? Physiol Plant 107:267–276

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Munoz-Romero V, Benitez-Vega J, Lopez-Bellido L, Lopez-Bellido RJ (2010) Monitoring wheat root development in a rainfed vertisol: tillage effect. Eur J Agron 33:182–187

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Munoz-Romero V, Lopez-Bellido L, Lopez-Bellido RJ (2011) Faba bean root growth in a vertisol: tillage effects. Field Crop Res 120:338–344

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Munoz-Romero V, Lopez-Bellido L, Lopez-Bellido RJ (2012) The effects of the tillage system on chickpea root growth. Field Crop Res 128:76–81

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nuttall JG, Davies SL, Armstrong RA, Peoples MB (2008) Testing the primer-plant concept: wheat yields can be increased on alkaline sodic soils when an effective primer phase is used. Aust J Agric Res 59:331–338

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pardales JR, Yamauchi A, Kono Y (1991) Growth and development of sorghum roots after exposure to different periods of a hot root-zone temperature. Environ Exp Bot 31:397–403

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rich SM, Watt M (2013) Soil conditions and cereal root system architecture: review and considerations for linking Darwin and Weaver. J Exp Bot 64:1193–1208

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rostamza M, Richards RA, Watt M (2013) Response of millet and sorghum to a varying water supply around the primary and nodal roots. Ann Bot 112:439–446

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Sow AA, Hossner LR, Unger PW, Stewart BA (1997) Tillage and residue effects on root growth and yields of grain sorghum following wheat. Soil Tillage Res 44:121–129

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stewart J, Moran C, Wood J (1999) Macropore sheath: quantification of plant root and soil macropore association. Plant Soil 211:59–67

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Volkmar KM (1997) Water stressed nodal roots of wheat: effects on leaf growth. Funct Plant Biol 24:49–56

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang YH, Hu WL, Zhang XL, Li LX, Kang GZ, Feng W, Zhu YJ, Wang CY, Guo TC (2014) Effects of cultivation patterns on winter wheat root growth parameters and grain yield. Field Crop Res 156:208–218

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Watt M, McCully ME, Kirkegaard JA (2003) Soil strength and rate of root elongation alter the accumulation of pseudomonas spp. and other bacteria in the rhizosphere of wheat. Funct Plant Biol 30:483–491

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Watt M, Kirkegaard JA, Rebetzke GJ (2005) A wheat genotype developed for rapid leaf growth copes well with the physical and biological constraints of unploughed soil. Funct Plant Biol 32:695–706

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Watt M, Silk WK, Passioura JB (2006) Rates of root and organism growth, soil conditions, and temporal and spatial development of the rhizosphere. Ann Bot 97:839–855

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • White RG, Kirkegaard JA (2010) The distribution and abundance of wheat roots in a dense, structured subsoil - implications for water uptake. Plant Cell Environ 33:133–148

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Xue Y-F, Zhang W, Liu D-Y, Yue S-C, Cui Z-L, Chen X-P, Zou C-Q (2014) Effects of nitrogen management on root morphology and zinc translocation from root to shoot of winter wheat in the field. Field Crop Res 161:38–45

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zadoks JC, Chang TT, Konzak CF (1974) A decimal code for the growth stages of cereals. Weed Res 14:415–421

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhou Y, Lambrides CJ, Fukai S (2014) Drought resistance and soil water extraction of a perennial C4 grass: contributions of root and rhizome traits. Funct Plant Biol 41:505–519

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zur B, Hesketh JD, Reid JF (1992) Temperature effects on nodal root development in maize. Plant Soil 142:151–155

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work was funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research project (CIM/2011/027). We thank Chris Penfold, Nigel Charman and Judith Rathjen at The University of Adelaide and Bill Davoren at CSIRO for help in establishment and maintenance of the field trials and collection of data.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Agriculture Food and Wine, The University of Adelaide, Waite Campus, Glen Osmond, SA, 5064, Australia

    Yi Zhou, David R. Coventry & Matthew D. Denton

Authors
  1. Yi Zhou
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. David R. Coventry
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Matthew D. Denton
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Matthew D. Denton.

Additional information

Responsible Editor: Peter J. Gregory .

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Zhou, Y., Coventry, D.R. & Denton, M.D. A quantitative analysis of root distortion from contrasting wheat cropping systems. Plant Soil 404, 173–192 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-016-2836-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-016-2836-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation