Department of Basic Sciences and Humanities, Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari, India.
Noble Research Institute, LLC, Ardmore, Oklahoma, USA.
Physiol Plant. 2021 Jun;172(2):1007-1015. doi: 10.1111/ppl.13332. Epub 2021 Jan 20.
Global agriculture is challenged with achieving sustainable food security while the climate changes and the threat of drought increases. Much of the research attention has focused on above-ground plant responses with an aim to improve drought resistance. The hidden half, that is, the root system belowground, is receiving increasing attention as the interface of the plant with the soil. Because roots are a sensing organ for nutrients and moisture, we speculate that crop root system traits can be managed using smart nutrient application in order to increase drought resistance. Roots are known to be influenced both by their underlying genetics and also by responses to the environment, termed root plasticity. Though very little is known about the combined effect of water and nutrients on root plasticity, we explore the possibilities of root system manipulation by nutrient application. We compare the effects of different water or nutrient levels on root plasticity and its genetic regulation, with a focus on how this may affect drought resistance. We propose four primary mechanisms through which smart nutrient management can optimize root traits for drought resistance: (1) overall plant vigor, (2) increased root allocation, (3) influence specific root traits, and (4) use smart placement and timing to encourage deep rooting. In the longer term, we envision that beneficial root traits, including plasticity, could be bred into efficient varieties and combined with advanced precision management of water and nutrients to achieve agricultural sustainability.
全球农业面临着在气候变化和干旱威胁加剧的情况下实现可持续粮食安全的挑战。大部分研究关注的是地上植物的反应，旨在提高抗旱能力。作为植物与土壤的接口，地下的根系——隐藏的一半，正受到越来越多的关注。由于根是养分和水分的感应器官，我们推测可以通过智能养分应用来管理作物根系特性，以提高抗旱能力。根系不仅受其内在遗传的影响，还受环境响应的影响，这种响应被称为根系可塑性。尽管人们对水和养分对根系可塑性的综合影响知之甚少，但我们还是探索了通过养分应用来操纵根系系统的可能性。我们比较了不同水分或养分水平对根系可塑性及其遗传调控的影响，重点关注这如何影响抗旱性。我们提出了智能养分管理可以优化抗旱性根特性的四个主要机制：（1）整体植物活力，（2）增加根分配，（3）影响特定根特性，（4）利用智能放置和定时来鼓励深根。从长远来看，我们设想有益的根特性，包括可塑性，可以被培育成高效品种，并结合水和养分的先进精确管理，以实现农业的可持续性。
