水分胁迫下春小麦根系吸水功能效率的研究

对水分胁迫下不同根系大小的春小麦籽粒产量与水分利用效率、相对生长速度和根系功能效率之间的关系进行了研究。实验分为3个水分处理和3个根系大小处理,3个水分处理分别是土壤含水量保持在田间持水量的80％-90％(H),50％-60％(M)和30％-40％(L)。根系大小的处理是(1)大根系处理(B),(2)中根系处理(M)和(3)小根系处理(S)。实验结果表明,在中度和重度干旱条件下小根系处理(MS和LS)的作物具有较高的WEUg,WUEdm、相对生长速度、根系功能效率和籽粒产量;在高水分处理中,上述参数的数值在大根系处理中相对较高。根呼吸耗C量在作物的整个生育期中都占有十分重要的地位,尽管根呼吸耗C比例随作物的生长而呈同步增加的趋势,但实际耗C量却呈逐步下降的趋势,同一时期作物的根呼吸速率与土壤含水量之间存在正相关关系,说明适当降低土壤含水量可以有效地减少根呼吸耗C量,有利于提高作物的存活率。在干旱半干旱地区,春小麦的根功能效率尚未达到最高值,作物产量仍有潜力可挖,通过适时补灌和减少同化物向根系分配的比例和根系对同化产物的消耗量来达到提高春小麦籽粒产量的方法是可行的,但不是长久之计。     

不同耕作方式对陇中旱农区春小麦和豌豆根系空间分布及产量的影响

依托陇中旱农区长期的保护性耕作定位试验,对不同耕作方式下春小麦和豌豆根系空间分布特征及作物产量进行研究,以探索耕作措施影响作物产量的机制.结果表明: 随着生育期的推进,春小麦和豌豆的总根长、根表面积呈先增后减的趋势,开花期达到最大;春小麦根系苗期以0～10 cm最多,花期、成熟期10～30 cm最多;而豌豆根系苗期和成熟期均以0～10 cm最多,花期10～30 cm最多.免耕秸秆覆盖和免耕覆膜增加了根长和根表面积,春小麦和豌豆各生育时期的根长较传统耕作增加了35.9%～92.6%,根表面积增加了43.2%～162.4%.免耕秸秆覆盖和免耕覆膜优化了春小麦和豌豆根系分布,与传统耕作相比,增加了春小麦和豌豆苗期0～10 cm土层根长和根表面积分布比例,花期和成熟期深层次根系分布也显著增加,免耕秸秆覆盖在开花期30～80 cm土层根长和根表面积的分布比例分别比传统耕作提高了3.3%和9.7%.春小麦各生育期的总根长、根表面积与产量呈显著正相关,豌豆各生育期的总根长与豌豆产量呈极显著正相关.免耕秸秆覆盖和免耕覆膜较传统耕作春小麦和豌豆产量增加23.4%～38.7%,水分利用效率提高了13.7%～28.5%.在陇中旱农区,免耕秸秆覆盖和免耕覆膜可以增加作物根长和根表面积,优化了根系在土壤中的空间分布,增强作物根层吸收能力,从而提高作物产量和水分高效利用.     

不同品种春小麦根系对低钾胁迫的生物学响应

采用水培法,以3个春小麦品种(加春1号、2号、4号)为试验材料,研究了低钾胁迫下不同品种春小麦根系的形态学与生理学特征。结果表明:(1)与对照相比,低钾胁迫下小麦的根重、根数、总根长、总吸收面积、根活力、根系SOD及POD活性、根系活性吸收面积均明显降低,但根冠比有所增加,不同春小麦品种间的变化趋势相似,但变化幅度存在明显差异。(2)供试品种小麦根系的形态与生理学特征在同一供钾水平下和不同供钾水平间均存在着明显的差异,表明这两种性状的差异是由基因型和环境因素共同决定的,因此,根系形态学和生理学特征可以作为筛选高效吸收钾小麦品种的参考指标。(3)供试的3个春小麦品种中‘加春4号’对低钾环境的适应性最强。     

半干旱区春小麦不同年代品种根系生长冗余的比较实验研究

 研究了半干旱区几个春小麦品种的籽实产量、根量与根茎比的关系。表明在开花期地方品种和尚头较之现代品种有更大的根量和根茎比。产量因降水条件而不同：极端干旱的1995年,大根系品种与现代品种产量无显著差异(p>0.05);在降水分配较为均匀的1996年,无论有、无灌溉条件,具较大根系的地方品种与现代品种的产量均最低(p<0.05),而根量与品种产量及地上生物量呈显著的负相关。表明大根系品种在根系上存在着冗余,减少根系冗余可望成为半干旱区小麦高产育种的一条有效途径。     

半干旱黄土高原地区地膜覆盖和底墒对春小麦生长及产量的影响

在年均降水量为415mm的半干旱地区黄绵土旱地上,以春小麦为供试作物进行大田实验,研究不同底墒(包括低底墒、中底墒和高底墒)下．地膜覆盖(包括不覆膜、播种后覆膜30d、覆膜60d和覆膜120d即全程覆膜)进程对作物生产的影响。结果表明．增加底墒和合理的覆膜进程均会显著增加作物的生长和产量,但底墒不同,其最佳覆膜进程不同：在低底墒时,覆膜处理反而使产量低于不覆膜处理;在中底墒时．覆膜30d产量最高,随着覆膜时间延长．产量呈下降趋势,甚至全程覆膜产量低于不覆膜处理;高底墒以覆膜60d产量最高。综合作物生长和产量,全程覆膜并没有多少实际意义。在同种覆膜处理下,随着底墒的增加,根生物量、地上干物质、叶面积及产量也增加显著,高底墒覆膜60d处理的产量在所有处理中为最高。     

表土干旱和根信号对春小麦产量形成的影响

本实验模拟大田条件,探讨一定程度水分亏缺下春小麦能否产生非水力根信号,以及对春小麦产量形成的影响．用３ 个春小麦品种,３ 个水分处理：充分供水（ＣＴ） ,上层供水（ＤＩｕ） 和上层干旱下层供水（ＤＩｄ） ．出苗后１７ ～２８ｄ ,非充分供水处理出现了植物叶片水势未显著改变而气孔导度和蒸腾作用却显著下降的现象,这是非水力根信号的典型特征．随着时间的推移,植物叶片水势同对照处理相比显著下降．在本试验的３ 个品种中,Ｂ品种上层根系的比根重（ＳＲＷ,单位根长的根重） 在出苗后３４ｄ 和出苗后５４ｄ 较Ａ、Ｃ品种高,且在出苗后５４ｄ上层根重的绝对量也显著高于Ａ、Ｃ品种的对应处理,对Ｂ品种获得较高的产量十分有利．Ｃ品种同Ａ、Ｂ品种相比,在出苗后３４ｄ 和５４ｄ,ＤＩｕ 处理中总根重、总根长分别向上层根重和上层根长分配的比例较Ａ、Ｂ 品种高,中层根重和中层根长的相对较低;而ＤＩｄ 处理中表现的趋势正好相反．以上表明Ｃ 品种对浅层土壤水分十分敏感,其根系的可塑性较强,也反映了其较高的根信号敏感性．相对而言,Ａ 品种和Ｂ 品种根系的可塑性较弱,但这两个品种的籽粒产量显著高于Ｃ 品种．     

不同水分条件下春小麦根系耗碳及其与产量形成的关系

 在自动控制的遮雨棚中,用盆栽法研究了不同水分条件下春小麦(Triticum aestivum)根系耗碳过程及与籽粒产量的关系。设高(W)、中(M)、低(S)3个水分处理,试验品种为`陇春8139-2'(L)和`定西24'(D)。在开花期及之前,根系的日生物量碳、日呼吸耗碳和日分泌耗碳量占根系日总耗碳量的比例平均为26%、58%和16%。在成熟期,W、M处理的根日生物量碳的下降(负值)在两品种之间没有显著差异,而在S处理中,D品种根生物量碳日下降幅度显著高于L品种,日呼吸耗碳量和日分泌耗碳量也最低,致使其根日生物量碳下降超过根总耗碳量的100倍,而根日呼吸耗碳量和日分泌耗碳量分别是根日总耗碳量的7.89倍和3.75倍,与其它处理/品种形成了鲜明对比。以根系日呼吸和日分泌耗碳之和占日光合固碳量的百分比来看,L品种在W、M和S处理中分别为53%、52%和83%,D品种分别为58%、49%和55%。两个品种根系碳消耗比例最低的是M处理,S处理的D品种远低于L品种。两品种产量水平接近,湿润条件下,L品种产量略高于D品种。籽粒产量与平均产量之比（Y/Ym）L品种在3个处理中分别为1.34, 1.14和0.53;D品种分别为1.04, 1.06和0.90。干旱条件下D品种保持了良好的产量稳定性。对D品种而言,中、重度干旱条件下光合固碳的相对稳定和根系耗碳量的降低是植物既能提高水分利用效率又能保持较高籽粒产量的主要原因。     

无机营养对春小麦抗旱适应性的影响

本文研究了无机营养对春小麦一些抗旱适应性的影响,主要包括:渗透调节的大小和变化过程、可溶性糖的积累、脯氨酸的积累、叶片导度的变化、离体叶片的失水速率、叶面积和耗水量的变化、根系生长和根/植冠值,并且分析了各个处理植株的水分利用效率(WUE)和产量的变异。认为,在干旱条件下,无机营养对于春小麦不同器官、不同生理功能,并不都具有一致的作用。有的利于提高植株的抗旱性,有的可以改变一些适应性产生的时间和发展过程,有的则不利于植株的抗旱性。通过综合分析,提出旱地施肥使作物增产的主要原因是,营养元素满足了作物生长所需,促进了根系发育,利于吸收水分、维持水分平衡和正常生理功能,但对作物自身的耐旱性并没有产生显著影响。     

天机营养对春小麦抗旱适应性的影响

本文研究了无机营养对春小麦一些抗旱适应性的影响,主要包括：渗透调节的大小和变化过程、可溶性糖的积累、脯氨酸的积累、叶片导度的变化、离体叶片的失水速率、叶面积和耗水量的变化、根系生长和根／植冠值,并且分析了各个处理植株的水分利用效率(WUE)和产量的变异。认为,在干旱条件下,无机营养对于春小麦不同器官、不同生理功能,并不都具有一致的作用。有的利于提高植株的抗旱性,有的可以改变一些适应性产生的时间和发展过程,有的则不利于植株的抗旱性。通过综合分析,提出旱地施肥使作物增产的主要原因是,营养元素满足了作物生长所需,促进了根系发育,利于吸收水分、维持水分平衡和正常生理功能,但对作物自身的耐旱性并没有产生显著影响。     

不同基因型春蚕豆对磷胁迫的适应性反应

利用不同作物或品种吸收利用土壤磷能力的差异提高磷素营养效率,是解决磷资源短缺的重要生物学途径.选择西北地区重要经济作物春蚕豆作为研究对象,选用3个不同春蚕豆品种(系),采用严重缺磷的碱性灌淤土,利用盆栽法研究了在不同供磷水平下不同基因型蚕豆的根系形态特征、酸性磷酸酶活性(APase)及产量的表现, 探讨不同基因型蚕豆对低磷胁迫的适应性反应.结果表明在整个生长过程中根长、根半径、根比表面积和根冠比变动最明显的是临蚕5号,分别为36.40%,65.10%、65.27%和13. 46%;缺磷条件下,蚕豆主要通过减小根半径,增加根长、根表面积,提高根冠比及体内酸性磷酸酶活性来实现对低磷胁迫的适应;不同基因型对低磷胁迫的适应能力不同;缺磷胁迫明显诱导各基因型蚕豆体内酸性磷酸酶活性的上升,临蚕5号增加最快为24.9%,8409为7. 79%,8354为7.29%;同一基因型的不同器官中酸性磷酸酶活性大小表现为根系>茎部>叶片 .根系酸性磷酸酶和根系形态参数可分别作为蚕豆耐低磷品种筛选的选择指标;缺磷导致作物减产,并且不同的基因型作物减产的幅度不同,临蚕5号缺磷比施磷减产30.98%,而8354 的产量在两个磷水平下变化不明显,说明临蚕5号对磷素的反应最强烈,为磷低效基因型,而 8354反应比较迟钝,为磷高效基因型.     

糜子育成品种苗期抗旱性评价与鉴定指标筛选

在年降雨量不足40 mm的敦煌市,对我国不同地区育成的56份糜子品种,采用反复干旱法进行了苗期抗旱性鉴定,利用反复干旱存活率和抗旱性综合评价值D的聚类结果筛选出一级抗旱品种4份,分别是陇糜5号、吉3、蒙粳糜1号和蒙粳糜7号;配对t测验显示:反复干旱胁迫后糜子苗高、植株含水量、单株叶面积、生物学产量分别降低了16.097 cm、0.393 g/株、10.358 cm2/株、0.075 g/株,差异达到了极显著水平,而根长、相对生长率反向增加了0.555 cm、3.213%;主成分分析中,植株含水量、生物学产量、单株叶面积3个指标在第1主成分中起决定作用(系数均≥0.881),且与两种抗旱评价参数值相关性均达到了极显著水平,因此,确定植株含水量、生物学产量、单株叶面积作为糜子苗期抗旱性鉴定1级指标。     

Donald’s Ideotype and Growth Redundancy: A Pot Experimental Test Using an Old and a Modern Spring Wheat Cultivar

Human selection for high crop yield under water-limited conditions should have led modern cereal cultivars to invest less in root biomass, be it unconsciously. To test this hypothesis we conducted a pot experiment with two spring wheat cultivars, one old and one modern, both widely grown in the semi-arid regions of China. Using the replacement series method introduced by de Wit, we showed that the older landrace (Monkhead) was significantly more competitive than the more-modern cultivar (92-46). However, when grown in pure stand, old Monkhead had grown root biomass 3.5 times modern 92-46, whereas modern 92-46 gained a 20% higher grain yield. We also found modern 92-46 significantly increased root biomass per plant and root allocation (i.e., root biomass/total individual biomass) as its frequency in mixtures decreased, whereas old Monkhead did not respond in a similar way. This result suggests that the roots of modern cultivars may have gained an ability to recognize neighboring root systems and show more plastic self-restraining response to intra-cultivar competition.     

Overcoming Salinity Barriers to Crop Production Using Traditional Methods

Salinity is a major problem in arid and semi-arid regions, where irrigation is essential for crop production. Major sources of salinity in these regions are salt-rich irrigation water and improper irrigation management. The effects of salinity on crops include inhibition of growth and production, and ultimately, death. There are two main approaches to alleviating the adverse effects of salinity on agricultural crops: (i) development of salt-tolerant cultivars by screening, conventional breeding or genetic engineering, and (ii) the traditional approach dealing with treatments and management of the soil, plants, irrigation water, and plant environment. The success of the first approach is limited under commercial growing conditions, because salt-tolerance traits in plants are complex. The present paper reviews, analyzes, and discusses the following traditional approaches: (i) improving the plant environment, (ii) exploiting interactions between plant roots and bacteria and fungi, and (iii) treating the plant directly. With respect to improving the plant environment, we review the possibilities of decreasing salt content and concentration and improving the nutrient composition and concentration in the root zone, and controlling the plant's aerial environment. The interactions between salt-tolerant bacteria or mycorrhizal fungi and root systems, and their effects on salt-tolerance, are demonstrated and discussed. Discussed treatments aimed at alleviating salinity hazard by treating the plant directly include priming of seeds and young seedlings, using proper seed size, grafting onto tolerant rootstocks, applying non-enzymatic antioxidants, plant growth regulators or compatible solutes, and foliar application of nutrients. It can be concluded from the present review that the traditional approaches provide promising means for alleviating the adverse effects of salinity on agricultural crops.     

Cereal Cyst Nematode (Heterodera avenae) on Oats. II. Early Root Development and Nematode Tolerance

The effect of Heterodera avenae infestation on early seminal and lateral root growth was examined in four oat genotypes differing in tolerance to H. avenae. Recently emerged seminal roots were inoculated with a range of H. avenae larval densities, then transferred a hydroponic system to remove the effect of later nematode penetration on root development. Intolerance to H. avenae was assessed in terms of impairment of seminal root extension resulting in fewer primary lateral roots emerging from the seminal root below the zone of juvenile penetration. Tolerant plants infested with H. avenae had longer lateral root systems than infested intolerant plants. The decline in lateral root growth below the penetration zone was partly offset by increased growth above. This did not contribute to tolerance, however, as there were no differences between cultivars for this feature. Nematodes induced earlier nodal root emergence in all cultivars. Nodal root development was most advanced on the most tolerant cultivar.     

Relationship between root vigour,photosynthesis and biomass in soybean cultivars during 87 years of genetic improvement in the northern China

During the last century, the world soybean yield has been constantly enhancing at a remarkable rate. Factors limiting the soybean yield may be multiple. It is widely acknowledged that changes of root metabolism can influence aboveground characteristics, such as the seed yield and photosynthesis. In this study, we considered root bleeding sap mass (BSM) and root activity (RA) as indicators of the root growth vigour. We used 27 soybean cultivars, spanning from 1923 to 2009, to evaluate the contribution of root characteristic improvement to efficient photosynthesis and dry matter production. The BSM, RA, net photosynthetic rate (P_N), and organ biomass were measured at different growth stages, such as the fourth leaf node, flowering, podding, and seed-filling stage. Our results showed that the soybean cultivars increased their biomass and P_N thanks to genetic improvement. At the same time, BSM and RA also increased in dependence on a year of cultivar release. However, both P_N and biomass were positively correlated with root characteristics only at the podding stage. Our data revealed that the improved root characteristic may have contributed to the enhanced photosynthesis, biomass, and yield of soybean cultivars during last 87 years of genetic improvement. We suggest that BSM and RA could be used as important indexes for further practice in soybean production improvement.     

Tolerance of potato to potato cyst nematodes (Globodera rostochiensis and G. pallida) in relation to the growth and efficiency of the root system

Potato cyst-nematode (Globodera rostochiensis) was shown to damage potato plants in several ways. A major cause of damage, affecting all cultivars to a similar extent, was a reduction in the top to root weight ratio. Intolerant cultivars also suffered a reduction in the weight and length of their root systems when grown in heavily infested soil, the combined damage resulting in a marked decrease in nutrient uptake and top growth. In addition intolerant cultivars tended to senesce prematurely when heavily infested, further decreasing their leaf area duration and yield. Cultivars tolerant of potato cyst-nematode (PCN) differed from intolerant cultivars in that their root systems tended to grow larger in heavily infested soil than in lightly infested or nematicide-treated soil, so partly compensating for the reduction in the top/root ratio. In a growth cabinet experiment Maris Anchor was more severely damaged at a soil temperature of 10 than at 15 °C. In a glasshouse, without temperature control, differences were obtained between cultivars in small pots (10 cm) in the effect of PCN on root growth which correlated well with differences in tolerance obtained in field trials.     

Gravitropic response growth angle and vertical distribution of roots of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Recent work on root distribution, growth angles and gravitropic responses in Japanese cultivars of winter wheat are reviewed. Vertical distribution of roots, which influences the environmental stress tolerance of plants, was observed in the 12 Japanese cultivars in the field. The root depth index (RDI: the depth at which 50% of the root length has been reached) differed among the cultivars at the stem elongation stage. Since the RDI was closely related to the growth angle of seminal roots obtained in a pot experiment, it was assumed that growth angle is useful for predicting vertical root distribution among wheat genotypes. Gravitropic responses of the primary seminal root of 133 Japanese wheat cultivars assessed by measuring the growth angle in agar medium, were larger in the northern Japanese cultivars and smaller in the southern ones. It was also found that the geographical variation resulted from the wheat breeding process, i.e. genotypes with limited gravitropic responses of roots had been selected in the southern part of Japan where excessive soil moisture is one of the most serious problems.     

水分胁迫下不同基因型小麦苗期的形态生理差异

以36个不同育成年代和生态区域的小麦品种为材料,研究了水分胁迫对小麦苗期生长的影响,并基于灰色关联分析评价了小麦品种苗期抗旱性的基因型差异.结果表明:小麦品种抗旱性差异显著,加权抗旱指数在0.2434～0.6580之间;17个形态生理性状中与抗旱性关联程度最大的是地上部干物质量(0.9473),最小的是叶绿素含量(0.5356).采用聚类分析将36个小麦品种分为3类,其中抗旱型8个、中间型23个、敏感型5个.3类基因型的地上部干物质量、根干物质量、植株干物质量、株高、根系氮积累量、叶面积和单株分蘖数差异显著,可作为小麦品种苗期抗旱性鉴定的直接指标.     

Genotypic variation in seedling root architectural traits and implications for drought adaptation in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Root system characteristics are of fundamental importance to soil exploration and below-ground resource acquisition. Root architectural traits determine the in situ space-filling properties of a root system or root architecture. The growth angle of root axes is a principal component of root system architecture that has been strongly associated with acquisition efficiency in many crop species. The aims of this study were to examine the extent of genotypic variability for the growth angle and number of seminal roots in 27 current Australian and 3 CIMMYT wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes, and to quantify using fractal analysis the root system architecture of a subset of wheat genotypes contrasting in drought tolerance and seminal root characteristics. The growth angle and number of seminal roots showed significant genotypic variation among the wheat genotypes with values ranging from 36 to 56 (degrees) and 3 to 5 (plant⁻¹), respectively. Cluster analysis of wheat genotypes based on similarity in their seminal root characteristics resulted in four groups. The group composition reflected to some extent the genetic background and environmental adaptation of genotypes. Wheat cultivars grown widely in the Mediterranean environments of southern and western Australia generally had wider growth angle and lower number of seminal axes. In contrast, cultivars with superior performance on deep clay soils in the northern cropping region, such as SeriM82, Baxter, Babax, and Dharwar Dry exhibited a narrower angle of seminal axes. The wheat genotypes also showed significant variation in fractal dimension (D). The D values calculated for the individual segments of each root system suggested that, compared to the standard cultivar Hartog, the drought-tolerant genotypes adapted to the northern region tended to distribute relatively more roots in the soil volume directly underneath the plant. These findings suggest that wheat root system architecture is closely linked to the angle of seminal root axes at the seedling stage. The implications of genotypic variation in the seminal root characteristics and fractal dimension for specific adaptation to drought environment types are discussed with emphasis on the possible exploitation of root architectural traits in breeding for improved wheat cultivars for water-limited environments.     

Traits and selection strategies to improve root systems and water uptake in water-limited wheat crops

Wheat yields globally will depend increasingly on good management to conserve rainfall and new varieties that use water efficiently for grain production. Here we propose an approach for developing new varieties to make better use of deep stored water. We focus on water-limited wheat production in the summer-dominant rainfall regions of India and Australia, but the approach is generally applicable to other environments and root-based constraints. Use of stored deep water is valuable because it is more predictable than variable in-season rainfall and can be measured prior to sowing. Further, this moisture is converted into grain with twice the efficiently of in-season rainfall since it is taken up later in crop growth during the grain-filling period when the roots reach deeper layers. We propose that wheat varieties with a deeper root system, a redistribution of branch root density from the surface to depth, and with greater radial hydraulic conductivity at depth would have higher yields in rainfed systems where crops rely on deep water for grain fill. Developing selection systems for mature root system traits is challenging as there are limited high-throughput phenotyping methods for roots in the field, and there is a risk that traits selected in the lab on young plants will not translate into mature root system traits in the field. We give an example of a breeding programme that combines laboratory and field phenotyping with proof of concept evaluation of the trait at the beginning of the selection programme. This would greatly enhance confidence in a high-throughput laboratory or field screen, and avoid investment in screens without yield value. This approach requires careful selection of field sites and years that allow expression of deep roots and increased yield. It also requires careful selection and crossing of germplasm to allow comparison of root expression among genotypes that are similar for other traits, especially flowering time and disease and toxicity resistances. Such a programme with field and laboratory evaluation at the outset will speed up delivery of varieties with improved root systems for higher yield.