Abstract
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.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1007-1015 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Physiologia Plantarum |
| Volume | 172 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jun 2021 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Funding
The authors are thankful to their respective institutes: Navsari Agricultural University, Noble Research Institute and Sher-e- Bangla Agricultural University for support. We apologize to researchers whose work we were not able to include due to limitations, it does not imply about the merit of their work. KB acknowledges his wife, Preeti, and mother as a mark of appreciation for unwavering support and faith. He also extends his thanks to his past students who helped his critical thinking by their unconventional questions inside or outside the classes.
