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Dynamics in plant roots and shoots minimize stress, save energy and maintain water and nutrient uptake
Author(s) -
Arsova Borjana,
Foster Kylie J.,
Shelden Megan C.,
Bramley Helen,
Watt Michelle
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
new phytologist
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.742
H-Index - 244
eISSN - 1469-8137
pISSN - 0028-646X
DOI - 10.1111/nph.15955
Subject(s) - shoot , nutrient , environmental science , plant roots , agronomy , agriculture , water transport , water stress , soil water , agricultural engineering , botany , soil science , biology , ecology , water flow , engineering
Summary Plants are inherently dynamic. Dynamics minimize stress while enabling plants to flexibly acquire resources. Three examples are presented for plants tolerating saline soil: transport of sodium chloride (NaCl), water and macronutrients is nonuniform along a branched root; water and NaCl redistribute between shoot and soil at night‐time; and ATP for salt exclusion is much lower in thinner branch roots than main roots, quantified using a biophysical model and geometry from anatomy. Noninvasive phenotyping and precision agriculture technologies can be used together to harness plant dynamics, but analytical methods are needed. A plant advancing in time through a soil and atmosphere space is proposed as a framework for dynamic data and their relationship to crop improvement.