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Hydrotropism in lateral but not in pivotal roots of desert plant species under simulated natural conditions

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Abstract

Aims

Root hydrotropism has been widely studied in seedling radicles through artificial experiments that reduce the influence of gravity and soil. In this work we aimed to study hydrotropism of primary lateral and pivotal roots in developed root systems of desert plants under simulated natural conditions.

Methods

We grew Bulnesia retama Griseb. (non phreatophyte), Prosopis flexuosa DC. (facultative phreatophyte) and Prosopis alpataco Phil.(obligate phreatophyte) seedlings in observation boxes with sand. Lateral and pivotal roots were stimulated by lateral water gradients and hydrotropic responses, root proliferation and root : shoot ratios were measured.

Results

We found that 65 ± 15 % of lateral roots that grew in response to water gradients in B. retama, 84 ± 8 % in P. flexuosa and 88 ± 8 % in P. alpataco displayed hydrotropism. Conversely, pivotal roots did not show hydrotropic growth. This was accompanied by root proliferation inside water patches, and biomass partitioning to shoot growth.

Conclusions

Our results provide evidence that root hydrotropism is a relevant response that could occur in nature. Lateral and pivotal roots manifest different hydrotropic responses under the conditions assayed. The combination of hydrotropism and precise root proliferation can shape root architecture, leading to optimum water patch exploration.

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Abbreviations

R : S ratio:

Root : shoot ratio

GSA:

Gravitropic set point angle

ψs :

Soil water potential

d.f:

Degrees of freedom

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Acknowledgments

We thank Pablo E. Villagra, Alejandro Serrano, Ismael Gatica, Leandro E. Cortés and Leandro Ferrón for useful discussions about experimental design; Hugo Debandi, Gualberto Salazar, Marta Chimeno and Andrea Dallosta for their invaluable help in experimental setting; Hugo Videla for stainless steel tube construction; Nicolás Jerez and Facundo Agüero for biomass measurements; Nelly Horak for English language revision; anonymous reviewers whose commentaries and suggestions contributed to enhance the quality of this work. We thank Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica (ANPCyT; PICT 2011–2521 and PICT 2007–1222) and Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (CONICET) for financial support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones en Científicas y Técnicas (CCT-Mendoza CONICET), Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones en Zonas Áridas (IADIZA), Av. Ruiz Leal s/n, Parque General San Martín, CP 5500, Mendoza, Argentina

    Aranzazú Guevara & Carla Valeria Giordano

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  1. Aranzazú Guevara
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  2. Carla Valeria Giordano
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Correspondence to Carla Valeria Giordano.

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Responsible Editor: Alain Pierret.

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Guevara, A., Giordano, C.V. Hydrotropism in lateral but not in pivotal roots of desert plant species under simulated natural conditions. Plant Soil 389, 257–272 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-014-2361-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-014-2361-9

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