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. 2012 Dec;5(8):850-7.
doi: 10.1111/j.1752-4571.2012.00263.x.

Evolution of root plasticity responses to variation in soil nutrient distribution and concentration

Judah D Grossman  1 , Kevin J Rice
Affiliations

Evolution of root plasticity responses to variation in soil nutrient distribution and concentration

Judah D Grossman et al. Evol Appl. 2012 Dec.

Abstract

Root plasticity, a trait that can respond to selective pressure, may help plants forage for nutrients in heterogeneous soils. Agricultural breeding programs have artificially selected for increased yield under comparatively homogeneous soil conditions, potentially decreasing the capacity for plasticity in crop plants like barley (Hordeum vulgare). However, the effects of domestication on the evolution of root plasticity are essentially unknown. Using a split container approach, we examined the differences in root plasticity among three domestication levels of barley germplasm (wild, landrace, and cultivar) grown under different concentrations and distribution patterns of soil nutrients. Domestication level, nutrient concentration, and nutrient distribution interactively affected average root diameter; differential root allocation (within-plant plasticity) was greatest in wild barley (Hordeum spontaneum), especially under low nutrient levels. Correlations of within-plant root plasticity and plant size were most pronounced in modern cultivars under low-nutrient conditions. Barley plants invested more resources to root systems when grown in low-nutrient soils and allocated more roots to higher-nutrient locations. Root plasticity in barley is scale dependent and varies with domestication level. Although wild barley harbors a greater capacity for within-plant root plasticity than domesticated barley, cultivars exhibited the greatest capacity to translate within-plant plasticity into increased plant size.

Keywords: Hordeum spontaneum; Hordeum vulgare; artificial selection; barley; evolution of plasticity; plant domestication.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Three-way interaction between domestication level, fertilizer level, and fertilizer distribution for average root diameter (P = 0.0095). Values are LS-means ± SE from mixed-model ancova.
Figure 2
Figure 2
(A) Interaction between barley domestication level and fertilizer distribution for specific root length (SRL) (P = 0.0092). Values are LS-means ± SE from mixed-model ancova. (B) Interaction between barley domestication level and fertilizer level for SRL (P = 0.0249). Nonsignificant trend after Bonferroni correction. Values are LS-means ± SE from mixed-model ancova.
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