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. 2020 Jun 23:11:880.
doi: 10.3389/fpls.2020.00880. eCollection 2020.

Nitrogen Fertilization Increases Root Growth and Coordinates the Root-Shoot Relationship in Cotton

Jing Chen  1   2 , Liantao Liu  1 , Zhanbiao Wang  1   2 , Yongjiang Zhang  1 , Hongchun Sun  1 , Shijia Song  3 , Zhiying Bai  1 , Zhanyuan Lu  1 , Cundong Li  1
Affiliations

Nitrogen Fertilization Increases Root Growth and Coordinates the Root-Shoot Relationship in Cotton

Jing Chen et al. Front Plant Sci. .

Abstract

The root system plays an important role in the growth and development of cotton, and root growth is closely related to shoot growth, both of which are affected by N availability in the soil. However, it is unknown how N affects root growth and the root-shoot relationship under various N rates in the Yellow River Basin, China. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess the impacts of the application rate of N on root growth and the root-shoot relationship, to provide insight into the N regulation of root and shoot growth and N efficiency from the perspective of the root system. A field experiment conducted in 2014 and 2015 was used to determine the effects of N rates (0, 120, 240, and 480 kg ha-1) on root morphology, root distribution, the root-shoot relationship, and cotton yield. A moderate N fertilization rate (240 kg ha-1) increased root length, root surface area, and root biomass in most soil layers and significantly increased total root growth and total root biomass by more than 36.06% compared to the 0 kg ha-1 treatment. In addition, roots in the surface soil layers were more strongly affected by N fertilization than roots distributed in the deeper soil layers. Total root length, total root surface area, and root biomass in the 0-15 cm layer were significantly correlated with shoot biomass and boll biomass. In the 60-75 cm layer, total root length, total root surface area, and root length were significantly positively correlated with seed cotton yield. The application of a moderate level of N markedly increased total shoot biomass, boll biomass, and seed cotton yield. Our results show that increased shoot and boll biomasses were correlated with a significant increase in the root system especially the shallow roots in the moderate N treatment (240 kg ha-1), leading to an increase in cotton seed yield.

Keywords: N fertilization; cotton; root distribution; root morphology; shoot biomass.

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Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Monthly rainfall and mean temperature during the growth stages of cotton in 2014 and 2015.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Impact of N application on cotton root length in various soil layers during the flowering and boll period (left: 2014; right: 2015).
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Impact of N application on cotton root surface area in various soil layers during the flowering and boll period (left: 2014; right: 2015).
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
Impact of N application on cotton root volume in various soil layers (left: 2014; right: 2015).
FIGURE 5
FIGURE 5
Impact of N application on cotton root biomass in various soil layers during the flowering and boll period (left: 2014; right: 2015).
FIGURE 6
FIGURE 6
Impact of N application on the total root length, root surface area, root volume, and root biomass of cotton during the flowering and boll period (upper: 2014; lower: 2015). Different letters among treatments indicate significant differences in the index at P = 0.05.
FIGURE 7
FIGURE 7
Impact of N application on cotton leaf biomass, stem biomass, and boll biomass at the flowering and boll period (left: 2014; right: 2015). Different letters among treatments indicate significant differences in the index at P = 0.05.
FIGURE 8
FIGURE 8
Correlation coefficients among the total root morphology indexes and shoot biomass at the flowering and boll period (left: 2014; right: 2015). TRL, total root length; TSA, total surface area; TRPA, total root projected area; TAD, total average diameter; TRV, total root volume; TRB, total root biomass; TSB, total shoot biomass; LB, leaf biomass; SB, stem biomass; BB, boll biomass.
FIGURE 9
FIGURE 9
Impact of N application rate on seed cotton yield. Different letters among treatments indicate significant differences in the index at P = 0.05.
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