Root growth dynamics and allocation as a response to rapid and local changes in soil moisture
<p>Roots exhibit plasticity in morphology and physiology when exposed to fluctuating nutrient and water availability. However, the dynamics of daily timescale adjustments to changes in water availability are unclear, and experimental evidence of the rates of such adjustments is needed. In this...
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| Language: | English |
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Copernicus Publications
2025-02-01
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| Series: | Biogeosciences |
| Online Access: | https://bg.copernicus.org/articles/22/691/2025/bg-22-691-2025.pdf |
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| author | S. Ceolin S. Ceolin S. J. Schymanski S. J. Schymanski D. van Dusschoten R. Koller J. Klaus |
| author_facet | S. Ceolin S. Ceolin S. J. Schymanski S. J. Schymanski D. van Dusschoten R. Koller J. Klaus |
| author_sort | S. Ceolin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>Roots exhibit plasticity in morphology and physiology when exposed to fluctuating nutrient and water availability. However, the dynamics of daily timescale adjustments to changes in water availability are unclear, and experimental evidence of the rates of such adjustments is needed. In this study, we investigated how the root system responds within days to a sudden and localized increase in soil moisture (“hydromatching”). Root systems of maize plants were grown in soil columns divided into four layers by vaseline barriers and continuously monitored using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology. We found that, within 48 h after application of water pulses in a given soil layer, root growth rates in that layer increased, while root growth rates in other layers decreased. Our results indicate local root growth was guided by local changes in soil moisture and potentially even by changes in soil moisture occurring in other parts of the soil profile, which would result in a coordinated response of the entire root system. Hydromatching in maize appears to be a dynamic and reversible phenomenon, for which the investment in biomass is continuously promoted in wet soil volumes and/or halted in drier soil volumes. This sheds new light onto the plasticity of root systems of maize plants and their ability to adjust to local and sudden changes in soil moisture, as would be expected due to patchy infiltration after rainfall or irrigation events.</p> |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-0331287b9807443cb81fca69e7d8370f |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1726-4170 1726-4189 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Biogeosciences |
| spelling | doaj-art-0331287b9807443cb81fca69e7d8370f2025-02-06T14:14:11ZengCopernicus PublicationsBiogeosciences1726-41701726-41892025-02-012269170310.5194/bg-22-691-2025Root growth dynamics and allocation as a response to rapid and local changes in soil moistureS. Ceolin0S. Ceolin1S. J. Schymanski2S. J. Schymanski3D. van Dusschoten4R. Koller5J. Klaus6Catchment and Eco-hydrology (CAT), Environmental Sensing and Modelling (ENVISION), Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), Belvaux, LuxembourgFaculty of Science, Technology and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, LuxembourgCatchment and Eco-hydrology (CAT), Environmental Sensing and Modelling (ENVISION), Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), Belvaux, LuxembourgFaculty of Science, Technology and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, LuxembourgInstitute of Bio- and Geosciences, Plant Sciences (IBG-2), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425 Jülich, GermanyInstitute of Bio- and Geosciences, Plant Sciences (IBG-2), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425 Jülich, GermanyDepartment of Geography, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany<p>Roots exhibit plasticity in morphology and physiology when exposed to fluctuating nutrient and water availability. However, the dynamics of daily timescale adjustments to changes in water availability are unclear, and experimental evidence of the rates of such adjustments is needed. In this study, we investigated how the root system responds within days to a sudden and localized increase in soil moisture (“hydromatching”). Root systems of maize plants were grown in soil columns divided into four layers by vaseline barriers and continuously monitored using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology. We found that, within 48 h after application of water pulses in a given soil layer, root growth rates in that layer increased, while root growth rates in other layers decreased. Our results indicate local root growth was guided by local changes in soil moisture and potentially even by changes in soil moisture occurring in other parts of the soil profile, which would result in a coordinated response of the entire root system. Hydromatching in maize appears to be a dynamic and reversible phenomenon, for which the investment in biomass is continuously promoted in wet soil volumes and/or halted in drier soil volumes. This sheds new light onto the plasticity of root systems of maize plants and their ability to adjust to local and sudden changes in soil moisture, as would be expected due to patchy infiltration after rainfall or irrigation events.</p>https://bg.copernicus.org/articles/22/691/2025/bg-22-691-2025.pdf |
| spellingShingle | S. Ceolin S. Ceolin S. J. Schymanski S. J. Schymanski D. van Dusschoten R. Koller J. Klaus Root growth dynamics and allocation as a response to rapid and local changes in soil moisture Biogeosciences |
| title | Root growth dynamics and allocation as a response to rapid and local changes in soil moisture |
| title_full | Root growth dynamics and allocation as a response to rapid and local changes in soil moisture |
| title_fullStr | Root growth dynamics and allocation as a response to rapid and local changes in soil moisture |
| title_full_unstemmed | Root growth dynamics and allocation as a response to rapid and local changes in soil moisture |
| title_short | Root growth dynamics and allocation as a response to rapid and local changes in soil moisture |
| title_sort | root growth dynamics and allocation as a response to rapid and local changes in soil moisture |
| url | https://bg.copernicus.org/articles/22/691/2025/bg-22-691-2025.pdf |
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