Abstract
Root hairs are tubular extensions of epidermal cells found on roots of most vascular plant species (Cormack 1962; Hofer 1991; Peterson and Farquhar 1996). There has been considerable debate as to the role of root hairs in nutrient uptake and observations of the normal growth of shoots of two of three root hair mutant lines of Zea mays L. (maize) suggest that they may not always play a significant role (Wen and Schnable 1994). Root hairs when present, however, extend the absorbing surface of roots and therefore presumably affect the uptake of nutrients in the vicinity of the root cylinder (Jungk 1991). Clarkson (1991) argues that if the density of root hairs is great enough, the depletion zones of adjacent hairs will overlap thus most available ions in the soil nutrient solution between adjacent root hairs will be available for uptake. The distance away from the depletion zone surrounding the root cylinder to which root hairs elongate extends the region of the rhizosphere from which nutrients can be absorbed (Nye 1966; and Fig. 1). There has been some interest, therefore, in using genotypes of agricultural species with long root hairs to enhance nutrient uptake. This characteristic, as well as the ability of root hairs to grow into small soil pores and into soil particles, could positively affect nutrient uptake. This would be of particular importance in terms of ions such as phosphate that are bound to soil fractions and are essentially immobile (Jungk 1991).
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Baon JB, Smith SE, and Alston AM (1994) Growth response and phosphorus uptake of rye with long and short root hairs: Interactions with mycorrhizal infection. Plant Soil 167: 247–254
Bates TR, Lynch JP (1996) Stimulation of root hair elongation in Arabidopsis thaliana by low phosphorus availability. Plant Cell Environ 19: 529–538
Bavaresco L, Fregoni M, Fraschini P (1991) Investigations on iron uptake and reduction by excised roots of different grapevine rootstocks and a V. vinifera cultivar. Plant Soil 130: 109–113
Baylis GT (1975) The magnolioid mycorrhiza and mycotrophy in root systems derived from it. In: Sanders FE, Mosse B, Tinker PB (Eds) Endomycorrhizas. Academic Press, London, pp 373–389
Bell PF, Chaney RL, Angle JS (1988) Staining localization of ferric reduction in roots. J Plant Nutr 11: 1237–1252
Bhat KKS, Nye PH (1973) Diffusion of phosphate to plant roots in soil. 1. Quantitative autoradiography of the depletion zone. Plant Soil 38: 161–175
Bhat KKS, Nye PH (1974a) Diffusion of phosphate to plant roots in soil. 2. Uptake along the roots at different times and the effect of different levels of phosphorus. Plant Soil 41: 365–382
Bhat KKS, Nye PH (1974b) Diffusion of phosphate to plant roots in soil. 3. Depletion around onion roots without root hairs. Plant Soil 41: 383–394
Bhat KKS, Nye PH, Baldwin JP (1976) Diffusion of phosphate to plant roots in soil. 4. The concentration distance profile in rhizosphere of roots with root hairs in a low-P soil. Plant Soil 44: 63–72
Bole JB (1973) Influence of root hairs in supplying soil phosphorus to wheat. Can J Soil Sci 53: 169–175
Brady DJ, Edwards DG, Asher CJ, Blarney FPC (1993) Calcium amelioration of Aluminium toxicity effects on root hair development in soybean (Glycine max ( L.) Merr. New Phytol 123: 531–538
Brady DJ, Hecht-Buchholz C, Asher CJ, Edwards DG (1990) Effects of low activities of Aluminium on soybean (Glycine max). I. Early growth and nodulation. In: van Beusichem ML (Ed) Plant nutrition–physiology and applications. Kluwer Academic, Dordrecht, pp 329–334
Breckle S-W (1991) Growth under stress-heavy metals. In: Waisel Y, Eshel A, Kafkafi U (Eds) Plant roots the hidden half. Marcel Dekker, New York, pp 351–373
Brewster JL, Bhat KKS, Nye PH (1976) The possibility of predicting solute uptake and plant growth response from independently measured soil and plant characteristics. 5. The growth and phosphorus uptake of rape in soil at a range of phosphorus concentrations and a comparison of results with the predictions of a simulation model. Plant Soil 44: 295–328
Briat J-F, Fobis-Loisy I, Grignon N, Lobréaux S, Pascal N, Savino G, Thoiron S, von Wirén N, van Wuytswinkel O (1995) Cellular and molecular aspects of iron metabolism in plants. Biol Cell 84: 69–81
Caradus JR (1981) Effect of root hair length on white clover growth over a range of soil phosphorus levels. N Z J Agric Res 24: 353–358
Care DA (1995) The effect of aluminium concentration on root hairs in white clover (Trifolium repens L.). Plant Soil 171: 159–162
Chaney RL, Chen Y, Green CE, Holden MJ, Bell PF, Luster DG, Angle JS (1992) Root hairs on chlorotic tomatoes are an effect of chlorosis rather than part of the adaptive Festress-response. J Plant Nutr 15: 1857–1875
Clarkson DT (1991) Root structure and sites of ion uptake. In: Waisel Y, Eshel A, Kafkafi U (Eds) Plant roots the hidden half. Marcel Dekker, New York, pp 417–453
Cormack RGH (1949) The development of root hairs in angiosperms. Bot Rev 15: 583–612
Cormack RGH (1962) The development of root hairs in angiosperms II. Bot Rev 28: 446–464
Cormack RGH, Lemay P, Maclachlan GA (1963) Calcium in the root-hair wall. J Exp Bot 14: 311–315
Cramer GR, Läuchli A, Polito VS (1985) Displacement of Cal’ by Na* from the plasmalemma of root cells. Plant Physiol 79: 207–211
Epstein E, Norlyn JD, Rush DW, Kingsburg RW, Kelley DB, Cunningham GA, Wrona AF (1980) Saline culture of crops: a genetic approach. Science 210: 399–404
Ernani PR, Santos JCP, Kaminski J, Rheinheimer DS (1994) Prediction of phosphorus uptake by a mechanistic model in a low phosphorus highly weathered soil as affected by mycorrhizae inoculation. J Plant Nutr 17: 1067–1078
Ewens M, Leigh RA (1985) The effect of nutrient solution composition on the length of root hairs of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). J Exp Bot 36: 713–724
Föhse D, Claassen N, Jungk A (1991) Phosphorus efficiency of plants. 2. Significance of root radius, root hairs and cation-anion balance for phosphorus influx in seven plant species. Plant Soil 132: 261–272
Föhse D, Jungk A (1983) Influence of phosphate and nitrate supply on root hair formation of rape, spinach and tomato plants. Plant Soil 74: 359–368
Gahoonia TS, Care D, Nielsen NE (1997) Root hairs and phosphorus acquisition of wheat and barley cultivars. Plant Soil 191: 181–188
Gahoonia TS, Nielsen NE (1996) Variation in acquisition of soil phosphorus among wheat and barley genotypes. Plant Soil 178: 223–230
Gahoonia TS, Nielsen NE (1997) Variation in root hairs of barley cultivars doubled soil phosphorus uptake. Euphytica 98: 177–182
Gahoonia TS, Nielsen NE (1998) Direct evidence on participation of root hairs in phosphorus (P32) uptake from soil. Plant Soil 198: 147–152
Gassmann W, Schroeder JI (1994) Inward-rectifying K+ channels in root hairs of wheat. A mechanism for aluminum-sensitive low-affinity K` uptake and membrane potential control. Plant Physiol 105: 1399–1408
Gourley CJP, Allan DL, Russelle MP (1993) Differences in response to available phosphorus among white clover cultivars. Agron J 85: 296–301
Grabov A, Böttger M (1994) Are redox reactions involved in regulation of K+ channels in the plasma membrane of Limnobium stoloniferum root hairs? Plant Physiol 105:927–935
Guinel FC, LaRue TA (1993) Excessive aluminium accumulation in the pea mutant E107 (brz). Plant Soil 157: 75–82
Hecht-Buchholz C, Brady DJ, Asher CJ, Edwards DG (1990) Effects of low activities of aluminium on soybean (Glycine max). II Root cell structure and root hair development. In: Van Beusichem ML (Ed) Plant nutrition-physiology and applications. Kluwer Academic, Dordrecht, pp 335–343
Hermann A, Felle HH (1995) Tip growth in root hair cells of Sinapis alba L.: significance of internal and external Ca’ and pH. New Phytol 129: 523–533
Hetrick BAD (1991) Mycorrhizas and root architecture. Experientia 47: 355–362
Hofer R-M (1991) Root hairs. In: Waisel Y, Eshel A, Kafkafi U (Eds) Plant roots the hidden half. Marcel Dekker, New York, pp 129–148
Hoffland E (1992) Quantitative evaluation of the role of organic acid exudation in the mobilization of rock phosphate by rape. Plant Soil 140: 279–289
Horst WJ, Abdou M, Wiesler F (1993) Genotypic differences in phosphorus efficiency of wheat. Plant Soil 155 /156: 293–296
Horst WJ, Abdou M, Wiesler F (1996) Differences between wheat cultivars in acquisition and utilization of phosphorus. Zeitschrift fur Pflanzenernährnahrung and Bodenkunde 159: 155–161
Itoh S, Barber SA (1983a) A numerical solution of whole plant nutrient uptake for soil-root systems with root hairs. Plant Soil 70: 403–413
Itoh S, Barber SA (1983b) Phosphorus uptake by six plant-species as related to root hairs. Agron J 75: 457–461
Jaunin F, Hofer R-M (1988) Calcium and rhizodermal differentiation in primary maize roots. J Exp Bot 39: 587–593
Jaunin F, Rouelle-Rossier VB, Hofer R-M (1991) Cytochemical and X-ray microanalytical studies of calcium in the extending zone, particularly in the rhizodermis of Zea mays roots. Physiol Plant 81: 15–23
Jones DL, Gilroy S, Larsen PB, Howell SH, Kochian LV (1998) Effect of aluminum on cytoplasmic Ca“ homeostasis in root hairs of Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Planta 206:378387
Jones DL, Shaff JE, Kochian LV (1995) Role of calcium and other ions in directing root hair tip growth in Limnobium stoloniferum I. Inhibition of tip growth by aluminum. Planta 197: 672–680
Jungk AO (1991) Dynamics of nutrient movement at the soil-root interface. In: Waisel Y, Eshel A, Kafkafi U (Eds) Plant roots the hidden half. Marcel Dekker, New York, pp 455–481
Kochian LV (1991) Mechanisms of micronutrient uptake and translocation in plants. In: Mortvedt JJ (Ed) Micronutrients in Agriculture Ed. 2. Soil Science Society of America, Madison, WI, pp 229–296
Kosegarten H, Grolig F, Wieneke J, Wilson G, Hoffmann B (1997) Differential ammoniaelicted changes of cytosolic pH in root hair cells of rice and maize as monitored by 2’,7’ -bis-(2carboxyethyl)-5 (and -6)-Carboxyfluorescein-fluorescence ratio. Plant Physiol 113: 451–461
Kramer D, Anderson WP, Preston J (1978) Transfer cells in the root epidermis of Atriplex hastata L. as a response to salinity: a comparative cytological and X-ray microprobe investigation. Aust J Pl Physiol 5: 739–747
Lakshmi-Kumari M, Singh CS, Subba-Rao NS (1974) Root hair infection and nodulation in lucerne (Medicago sativa) as influenced by salinity and alkalinity. Plant Soil 40: 261–268
Landsberg E-C (1982) Transfer cell formation in the root epidermis: a prerequisite for Fe-efficiency. J Plant Nutr 5: 415–432
Landsberg E-C (1986) Function of rhizodermal transfer cells in the Fe stress response mechanism of Capsicum annuum L. Plant Physiol 82: 511–517
Landsberg E-C (1989) Proton efflux and transfer cell formation as a response to Fe deficiency of soybean in nutrient solution culture. Plant Soil 114: 53–61
Lane SD, Martin ES (1980) Further observations on the distribution of lead in juvenile roots of Raphanus sativus. Z Pflanzenphysiol 97: 145–152
Lauter F-R, Ninnemann O, Bucher M, Riesmeier JW, Frommer WB (1996) Preferential expression of an ammonium transporter and of two putative nitrate transporters in root hairs of tomato. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 93: 8139–8144
Lewis DG, Quirk JP (1967) Phosphate diffusion in soil and uptake by plants. 3. P31-movement and uptake by plants as indicated by P32-autoradiography. Plant Soil 27: 445–453
Lynch J (1995) Root architechture and plant productivity. Plant Physiol. 109: 7–13
Misra RK, Alston AM, Dexter AR (1988) Role of root hairs in phosphorus depletion from a macrostructured soil. Plant Soil 107: 11–18
Moog PR, van der Kooij TAW, Brtiggemann W, Schiefelbein JW, Kuiper PJC (1995) Responses to iron deficiency in Arabidopsis thaliana: the turbo iron reductase does not depend on the formation of root hairs and transfer cells. Planta 195: 505–513
Nye PH (1966) The effect of nutrient intensity and buffering power of a soil, and the absorbing power, size and root hairs of a root, on nutrient absorption by diffusion. Plant Soil 25: 81–105
Peterson RL (1992) Adaptations of root structure in relation to biotic and abiotic factors. Can J Bot 70: 661–675
Peterson RL, Farquar ML (1994) Mycorrhizas-Integrated development between roots and fungi. Mycologia 86: 311–326
Peterson RL, Farquhar ML (1996) Root hairs: specialized tubular cells extending root surfaces. Bot Rev 62: 1–40
Powell MJ, Davies MS, Francis D (1988) Effects of zinc on meristem size and proximity of root hairs and xylem elements to the root tip in a zinc-tolerant and a non-tolerant cultivar of Festuca rubra L. Ann Bot 61: 723–726
Robinson D, Rorison IH (1987) Root hairs and plant growth at low nitrogen availabilities. New Phytol 107: 681–693
Römheld V, Kramer D (1983) Relationship between proton efflux and rhizodermal transfer cells induced by iron deficiency. Z Pflanzenphysiol 113: 73–83
Römheld V, Marschner H (1981) Iron deficiency stress induced morphological and physiological changes in root tips of sunflower. Physiol Plant 53: 354–360
Rosenfield C-L, Reed DW, Kent MW (1991) Dependency of iron reduction on development of a unique root morphology in Ficus benjamina L. Plant Physiol 95: 1120–1124
Sattelmacher B, Heinecke I, and Muhling KH (1993) Influence of minerals on cytoplasmic streaming in root hairs of intact wheat seedlings (Triticum aestivum L). Plant Soil. 156: 107–110
Schiefelbein JW, Shipley A, Rowse P (1992) Calcium influx at the tip of growing root-hair cells of Arabidopsis thaliana. Planta 187: 455–459
Sieghardt H (1984) Eine anatomische-histochemische Studie zur Bleiverteilung in Primärwurzeln von Pisum sativum L. Mikroscopie 41: 125–131
Smith SE, Read DJ (1997) Mycorrhizal symbiosis. Academic Press, San Diego
Tanaka Y, Woods FW (1972) Root and root hair growth in relation to supply and internal mobility of calcium. Bot Gaz 133: 29–34
Tanaka Y, Woods FW (1973) Root and root hair growth of oats: replaceability of calcium. Can J Bot 51: 1655–1659
Tyerman SD, Oats P, Gibbs J, Dracup M, Greenway H (1989) Turgor-volume regulation and cellular water relations of Nicotiana tabacum roots grown in high salinities. Aust J PI Physiol 16: 517–531
Ullrich CI, Novacky AJ (1990) Extra-and intracellular pH and membrane potential changes induced by K’, Cl-, HZPO;, and NO3 uptake and fusicoccin in root hairs of Limnobium stoloniferum. Plant Physiol 94: 1561–1567
Wen T-J, Schnable PS (1994) Analyses of mutants of three genes that influence root hair development in Zea mays ( Gramineae) suggest that root hairs are dispensable. Am J Bot 81: 833–842
Werner D, Kuhlmann K-P, Gloystein F, Richter F-W (1985) Calcium, iron and cobalt accumulation in root hairs of soybean (Glycine max). Z Naturforsch 40: 912–913
Wheeler DM (1995) Effect of root hair length on aluminum tolerance in white clover. J Plant Nutr 18: 955–958
White PJ (1998) Calcium channels in the plasma membrane of root cells. Ann Bot 81:173–183
Zahran HH, Sprent JI (1986) Effects of sodium chloride and polyethylene glycol on root-hair infection and nodulation of Vicia faba L. plants by Rhizobium leguminosarum. Planta 167: 303–309
Zsoldos F, Haunold E, Vashegyi A, and Herger P. 1993. Nitrite in the root-zone and its effects on ion uptake and growth of wheat seedlings; physiologia plantarum. Physiol Plant 89: 26–631
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2000 Springer-Verlag Tokyo
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Peterson, R.L., Stevens, K.J. (2000). Evidence for the Uptake of Non-Essential Ions and Essential Nutrient Ions by Root Hairs and Their Effect on Root Hair Development. In: Ridge, R.W., Emons, A.M.C. (eds) Root Hairs. Springer, Tokyo. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-68370-4_11
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-68370-4_11
Publisher Name: Springer, Tokyo
Print ISBN: 978-4-431-68372-8
Online ISBN: 978-4-431-68370-4
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive