Root biomass fraction as a function of growth degree days in wheat

Abstract

Root, underground and above-ground biomass were measured on various wheat cultivars from 1986 to 1988 in the south-east of France. The results are expressed as root: total (f _r) or underground: total (f _u) biomass fractions. Observed f _r and f _u values are in good agreement with previous results. f _r and f _u decrease steadily from emergence to maturity, with an exponential tendency. When using cumulative growth degree days since emergence relative to cumulative growth degree days until ear emergence (θ✻) as time scale, f _r and f _u can be expressed as simple functions of θ✻% MathType!MTEF!2!1!+-% feaafiart1ev1aaatCvAUfeBSjuyZL2yd9gzLbvyNv2CaerbuLwBLn% hiov2DGi1BTfMBaeXatLxBI9gBaerbd9wDYLwzYbItLDharqqtubsr% 4rNCHbGeaGqiVu0Je9sqqrpepC0xbbL8F4rqqrFfpeea0xe9Lq-Jc9% vqaqpepm0xbba9pwe9Q8fs0-yqaqpepae9pg0FirpepeKkFr0xfr-x% fr-xb9adbaqaaeGaciGaaiaabeqaamaabaabaaGceaqabeaacaWGMb% addaWgaaqaaiaadkhaaeqaamaabmaabaGccqaH4oqCdaahaaWcbeqa% aiaacQcaaaaamiaawIcacaGLPaaakiabg2da9iaaicdacaGGUaGaaG% imaiaaiwdacqGHRaWkcaaIWaGaaiOlaiaaiwdacaaI4aGaamyzamaa% CaaaleqabaGaeyOeI0IaaGymaiaac6cacaaI0aGaaGioaiabeI7aXn% aaCaaameqabaGaaiOkaaaaaaaakeaacaWGMbaddaWgaaqaaiaadwha% aeqaamaabmaabaGccqaH4oqCdaahaaWcbeqaaiaacQcaaaaamiaawI% cacaGLPaaakiabg2da9iaaicdacaGGUaGaaGymaiaaikdacqGHRaWk% caaIWaGaaiOlaiaaiIdacaaI4aGaamyzamaaCaaaleqabaGaeyOeI0% IaaGOmaiaac6cacaaIYaGaaGioaiabeI7aXnaaCaaameqabaGaaiOk% aaaaaaaaaaa!610D!\[\begin{gathered} f_r \left( {\theta ^* } \right) = 0.05 + 0.58e^{ - 1.48\theta ^* } \hfill \\ f_u \left( {\theta ^* } \right) = 0.12 + 0.88e^{ - 2.28\theta ^* } \hfill \\ \end{gathered} \]

The incremental root biomass partitioning coefficient, % MathType!MTEF!2!1!+-% feaafiart1ev1aaatCvAUfeBSjuyZL2yd9gzLbvyNv2CaerbuLwBLn% hiov2DGi1BTfMBaeXatLxBI9gBaerbd9wDYLwzYbItLDharqqtubsr% 4rNCHbGeaGqiVu0Je9sqqrpepC0xbbL8F4rqqrFfpeea0xe9Lq-Jc9% vqaqpepm0xbba9pwe9Q8fs0-yqaqpepae9pg0FirpepeKkFr0xfr-x% fr-xb9adbaqaaeGaciGaaiaabeqaamaabaabaaGcbaGaeqySde2aaS% baaSqaaiaadkhaaeqaaOGaeyypa0JaaiikaiaadsgacaWGxbWaaSba% aSqaaiaadkhaaeqaaOGaai4laiaadsgacaWG0bGaaiykaiaac+caca% GGOaGaamizaiaadEfadaWgaaWcbaGaamiDaaqabaGccaGGVaGaamiz% aiaadshacaGGPaaaaa!4834!\[\alpha _r = (dW_r /dt)/(dW_t /dt)\], which describes the net increase in root biomass dW _r over time dt relative to the increase in total biomass (dW _r) over the same time period, has been derived from f and the relative growth rate. Its time course is accurately represented by% MathType!MTEF!2!1!+-% feaafiart1ev1aaatCvAUfeBSjuyZL2yd9gzLbvyNv2CaerbuLwBLn% hiov2DGi1BTfMBaeXatLxBI9gBaerbd9wDYLwzYbItLDharqqtubsr% 4rNCHbGeaGqiVu0Je9sqqrpepC0xbbL8F4rqqrFfpeea0xe9Lq-Jc9% vqaqpepm0xbba9pwe9Q8fs0-yqaqpepae9pg0FirpepeKkFr0xfr-x% fr-xb9adbaqaaeGaciGaaiaabeqaamaabaabaaGcbaGaeqySdegdda% WgaaqaaiaadkhaaeqaamaabmaabaGccqaH4oqCdaahaaWcbeqaaiaa% cQcaaaaamiaawIcacaGLPaaakiabg2da9iabgkHiTiaaicdacaGGUa% GaaGymaiaaiwdacqGHRaWkcaaIWaGaaiOlaiaaiAdacaaIZaGaamyz% amaaCaaaleqabaGaeyOeI0IaaGimaiaac6cacaaI5aGaaGioaiabeI% 7aXnaaCaaameqabaGaaiOkaaaaaaaaaa!4D15!\[\alpha _r \left( {\theta ^* } \right) = - 0.15 + 0.63e^{ - 0.98\theta ^* } \]

Under our experimental conditions, with no severe water stresses or nutrient deficiencies, and for our sampling frequency, around 2 weeks, the development scale θ✻, is the main factor governing the time courses of f _r, f _u and α_r.