Plant and Soil

, Volume 374, Issue 1–2, pp 359–370 | Cite as

Physiological properties of a drought-resistant wild soybean genotype: Transpiration control with soil drying and expression of root morphology

  • Thomas M. Seversike
  • Shannon M. Sermons
  • Thomas R. Sinclair
  • Thomas E. CarterJr.
  • Thomas W. Rufty
Regular Article
First Online:
Received:
Accepted:

Abstract

Aims

Wild soybean accession PI 468917 [Glycine soja (Sieb. and Zucc.)] was examined for traits that could potentially be beneficial for development of drought resistant soybean cultivars.

Methods

Water use was examined in controlled environment chambers at three temperatures (25, 30, and 35 °C). Root morphology of plants grown in hydroponics was analyzed using digital imaging software.

Results

Wild soybean had lower transpiration efficiency in producing mass than the domesticated soybean cultivar Hutcheson at all temperatures. As soil dried, wild soybean decreased transpiration earlier (at a higher soil water content) than domesticated soybean, but only at 25 °C. Wild soybean had much greater root length than the modern soybean when grown at 25 or 30 °C in hydroponics, with the increase observed in the 0.25 to 0.50 mm diameter class. Wild soybean’s advantages dissipated at higher growth temperatures.

Conclusions

Wild soybean populations, potentially, can offer useful traits for improving drought resistance of modern soybean. Sensitive transpiration control in response to soil drying would contribute to ‘slow-wilting’ strategies known to be advantageous for drought resistance, and greater root length would enhance water acquisition from the soil profile. Use of the traits in breeding programs will require extending the temperature range for trait expression.

Keywords

Glycine soja Glycine max Fraction of transpirable soil water Drought Transpiration efficiency 

Abbreviations

BP

Break point

FTSW

Fraction of transpirable soil water

NTR

Normalized transpiration ratio

VPD

Vapor pressure deficit

TE

Transpiration efficiency

TEshoot

Transpiration efficiency based on the shoot mass divided by the transpiration of plants

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

References

  1. Barber SA, Silberbush M (1984) Plant root morphology and nutrient uptake. In Barber SA, Bouldin DR (eds) Roots, nutrient and water influx, and plant growth. Am Soc Agron Spec Publ 49:65–87Google Scholar
  2. Buss GR, Camper HM, Roane CW (1988) Registration of Hutcheson soybean. Crop Sci 28:1024–1025CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  3. Campbell KAG, Carter TE Jr (1990) Aluminum tolerance in soybean: I. Genotypic correlation and repeatability of solution culture and greenhouse screening methods. Crop Sci 30:1049–1054CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  4. Carter TE Jr, Rufty TW (1993) Soybean plant introductions exhibiting drought and aluminum tolerance. In: Kuo CG (ed) Adaptation of food crops to temperature and water stress: Proceedings of an international symposium. Asian Vegetable Research and Development Center, Taipei, pp 335–346Google Scholar
  5. Carter TE Jr, De Souza PI, Purcell LC (1999) Recent advances in breeding for drought and aluminum resistance in soybean. In: Kauffman H (ed) Proceedings at the world soybean research conference VI, Chicago. IL. Superior Printing, Champagne, pp 106–125Google Scholar
  6. Chung G, Singh RJ (2008) Broadening the genetic base of soybean: A multidisciplinary approach. Crit Rev Plant Sci 27:295–341CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  7. Clark LJ, Whalley WR, Barraclough PB (2003) How do roots penetrate strong soil? Plant Soil 255:93–104CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  8. Comstock JP (2002) Hydraulic and chemical signalling in the control of stomatal conductance and transpiration. J Exp Bot 53:195–200PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  9. Cortes PM, Sinclair TR (1986) Water relations of field-grown soybean under drought. Crop Sci 26:993–998CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  10. Davies WJ, Zhang JH (1991) Root signals and the regulation of growth and development of plants in drying soil. Annu Rev Plant Physiol Plant Mol Biol 42:55–76CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  11. Devi MJ, Sinclair TR, Vadez V, Krishnamurthy L (2009) Peanut genotypic variation in transpiration efficiency and decreased transpiration during progressive soil drying. Field Crops Res 114:280–285CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  12. de Wit CT (1958) Transpiration and crop yields. Versl landbouwk onderz 64.6. Inst of biol and chem Res on field crops and herbage. Wageningen, The NetherlandsGoogle Scholar
  13. Drew MC (1975) Comparison of effects of a localized supply of phosphate, nitrate, ammonium and potassium on growth of seminal root system, and shoot, in barley. New Phytol 75:479–490CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  14. Drew MC, Saker LR (1978) Nutrient supply and growth of seminal root-system in barley: III. Compensatory increases in growth of lateral roots, and in rates of phosphate uptake, in response to a localized supply of phosphate. J Exp Bot 29:435–451CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  15. Eissenstat DM (1992) Costs and benefits of constructing roots of small diameter. J Plant Nutr 15:763–782CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  16. Fehr WR, Caviness CE, Burmood DT, Pennington JS (1971) Stage of development descriptions for soybeans, Glycine max (L) Merrill. Crop Sci 11:929–931CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  17. Fitter A (1996) Characteristics and functions of root systems. In: Waisel Y, Eshel A, Kafkafi U (eds) Plant roots the hidden half, 2nd edn. Marcel Dekker, Inc., New York, pp 1–20Google Scholar
  18. Fletcher AL, Sinclair TR, Allen LH (2007) Transpiration responses to vapor pressure deficit in well watered ‘slow-wilting’ and commercial soybean. Environ Exp Bot 61:145–151CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  19. Gizlice Z, Carter TE, Burton JW (1994) Genetic base for north-American public soybean cultivars released between 1947 and 1988. Crop Sci 34:1143–1151CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  20. Hudak CM, Patterson RP (1996) Root distribution and soil moisture depletion pattern of a drought-resistant soybean plant introduction. Agron J 88:478–485CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  21. Hufstetler EV, Boerma HR, Carter TE Jr, Earl HJ (2007) Genotypic variation for three physiological traits affecting drought tolerance in soybean. Crop Sci 47:25–35CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  22. Hurd EA (1968) Growth of roots of 7 varieties of spring wheat at high and low moisture levels. Agron J 60:201–205CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  23. Hymowitz T, Singh RJ (1987) Taxonomy and speciation. In: Wilcox JR (ed) Soybeans: Improvement, production, and uses, 2nd edn. Am Soc Agron-Crop Sci Soc Am-Soil Sci Soc Am, Madison, pp 23–48Google Scholar
  24. Khalil S, Loynachan TE, Tabatabai MA (1999) Plant determinants of mycorrhizal dependency in soybean. Agron J 91:135–141CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  25. King CA, Purcell LC, Brye KR (2009) Differential wilting among soybean genotypes in response to water deficit. Crop Sci 49:290–298CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  26. Kochian LV (1995) Cellular mechanisms of aluminum toxicity and resistance in plants. Annu Rev Plant Physiol Plant Mol Biol 46:237–260CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  27. Lam H, Xu X, Liu X, Chen W, Yang G, Wong F, Li M, He W, Qin N, Wang B, Li J, Jian M, Wang J, Shao G, Wang J, Sun SS, Zhang G (2010) Resequencing of 31 wild and cultivated soybean genomes identifies patterns of genetic diversity and selection. Nat Genet 42:1053–1059PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  28. Luquet D, Clement-Vidal A, Fabre D, This D, Sonderegger N, Dingkuhn M (2008) Orchestration of transpiration, growth and carbohydrate dynamics in rice during a dry-down cycle. Funct Plant Biol 35:689–704CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  29. Manavalan LP, Guttikonda SK, Nguyen VT, Shannon JG, Nguyen HT (2010) Evaluation of diverse soybean germplasm for root growth and architecture. Plant Soil 330:503–514CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  30. Mikel MA, Diers BW, Nelson RL, Smith HH (2010) Genetic diversity and agronomic improvement of North American soybean germplasm. Crop Sci 50:1219–1229CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  31. Mo X, Liu S, Lin Z, Guo R (2009) Regional crop yield, water consumption and water use efficiency and their responses to climate change in the North China plain. Agric Ecosyst Environ 134:67–78CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  32. Naegle ER, Burton JW, Carter TE, Rufty TW (2005) Influence of seed nitrogen content on seedling growth and recovery from nitrogen stress. Plant Soil 271:329–340CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  33. Nichols DM, Lianzheng W, Pei Y, Glover KD, Diers BW (2007) Variability among Chinese glycine soja and Chinese and North American soybean genotypes. Crop Sci 47:1289–1298CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  34. Place G, Bowman D, Burton M, Rufty TW (2008) Root penetration through a high bulk density soil layer: Differential response of a crop and weed species. Plant Soil 307:179–190CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  35. Ray JD, Sinclair TR (1997) Stomatal closure of maize hybrids in response to drying soil. Crop Sci 37:803–807CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  36. Ray JD, Sinclair TR (1998) The effect of pot size on growth and transpiration of maize and soybean during water deficit stress. J Exp Bot 49:1381–1386Google Scholar
  37. Robinson D (1994) The responses of plants to nonuniform supplies of nutrients. New Phytol 127:635–674CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  38. Sadok W, Sinclair TR (2009) Genetic variability of transpiration response to vapor pressure deficit among soybean cultivars. Crop Sci 49:955–960CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  39. Sadras VO, Milroy SP (1996) Soil-water thresholds for the responses of leaf expansion and gas exchange: A review. Field Crops Res 47:253–266CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  40. Sermons SM, Seversike TM, Sinclair TR, Fiscus EL, Rufty TW (2012) Temperature influences the ability of tall fescue to control transpiration in response to atmospheric vapour pressure deficit. Funct Plant Biol, in pressGoogle Scholar
  41. Seversike TM, Sermons SM, Sinclair TR, Carter TE, Rufty TW (2012) Temperature interactions with transpiration response to vapor pressure deficit among cultivated and wild soybean genotypes. Physiol Plantarum, in pressGoogle Scholar
  42. Silva IR, Smyth TJ, Israel DW, Rufty TW (2001a) Altered aluminum inhibition of soybean root elongation in the presence of magnesium. Plant Soil 230:223–230CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  43. Silva IR, Smyth TJ, Raper CD, Carter TE, Rufty TW (2001b) Differential aluminum tolerance in soybean: An evaluation of the role of organic acids. Physiol Plantarum 112:200–210CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  44. Sinclair TR (2005) Theoretical analysis of soil and plant traits influencing daily plant water flux on drying soils. Agron J 97:1148CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  45. Sinclair TR, Ludlow MM (1986) Influence of soil water supply on the plant water balance of four tropical grain legumes. Aust J Plant Physiol 13:329–341CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  46. Sinclair TR, Messina CD, Beatty A, Samples M (2010) Assessment across the United States of the benefits of altered soybean drought traits. Agron J 102:475–482CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  47. Sinclair TR, Zwieniecki MA, Holbrook NM (2008) Low leaf hydraulic conductance associated with drought tolerance in soybean. Physiol Plantarum 132:446–451CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  48. Sloane RJ, Patterson RP, Carter TE Jr (1990) Field drought tolerance of a soybean plant introduction. Crop Sci 30:118–123CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  49. Smucker AJM, Aiken RM (1992) Dynamic root responses to water deficits. Soil Sci 154:281–289CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  50. Steudle E (2000) Water uptake by roots: Effects of water deficit. J Exp Bot 51:1531–1542PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  51. Tardieu F, Davies WJ (1993) Integration of hydraulic and chemical signaling in the control of stomatal conductance and water status of droughted plants. Plant Cell Environ 16:341–349CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  52. Tungate KD, Israel DW, Watson DM, Rufty TW (2007) Potential changes in weed competitiveness in an agroecological system with elevated temperatures. Environ Exp Bot 60:42–49CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  53. USDA-ARS National Genetic Resources Program (2011) Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN) database. Glycine soja Siebold & Zucc. FABACEAE ‘PI 468917’. National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, MD. http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/swish/accboth?query=PI+468917.
  54. Vessey JK, York EK, Henry LT, Raper CD (1988) Uniformity of environmental conditions and plant growth in a hydroponic culture system for use in a growth room with aerial CO2 control. Biotronics 17:79–94PubMedGoogle Scholar
  55. von Uexkull HR, Mutert E (1995) Global extent, development and economic impact of acid soils. Plant Soil 171:1–15CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  56. Wright SR, Jennette MW, Coble HD, Rufty TW (1999) Root morphology of young Glycine max, Senna obtusifolia, and Amaranthus palmeri. Weed Sci 47:706–711Google Scholar

Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media B.V. (outside the USA) 2013

Authors and Affiliations

  • Thomas M. Seversike
    • 1
  • Shannon M. Sermons
    • 2
  • Thomas R. Sinclair
    • 2
  • Thomas E. CarterJr.
    • 3
  • Thomas W. Rufty
    • 2
  1. 1.Syngenta SeedsPascoUSA
  2. 2.Department of Crop ScienceNorth Carolina State UniversityRaleighUSA
  3. 3.USDA-ARS (United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service)RaleighUSA

Personalised recommendations