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Efficient root systems for enhancing tolerance of crops to water and phosphorus limitation

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Abstract

Development of future crop varieties with efficient root systems for enhanced water and phosphorus uptake is essential for improving crop adaptation and hence food security. Root system architecture (RSA) traits that overcome low-water and low-phosphorus stresses are critical to maintaining structural and functional properties, and are considered the first-order targets in breeding programmes for rainfed environments. Modification of root system architecture could contribute to improvements of desirable agronomic and physiological traits such as biomass, yield, drought resistance, and tolerance to nutrient deficiencies. Advanced phenotyping, imaging, modelling and molecular biotechnologies offer promise in identifying RSA traits for efficient resource acquisition and adaptation to abiotic stresses. This review highlights the complexity and regulation of RSA in response to water and P stresses.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the CGIAR CRP Grain Legumes, the Australian Research Council (DP160103420), National Nature Science Foundation of China (31471946) and the Chinese Academy of Sciences “100 Talent” Program (A315021449).

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  1. The UWA Institute of Agriculture, and School of Earth and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, 6001, Australia

    Yinglong Chen, Zed Rengel, Jairo Palta & Kadambot H. M. Siddique

  2. Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A&F University, and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China

    Yinglong Chen

  3. CSIRO Agriculture, Private Bag No. 5, Wembley, WA, 6014, Australia

    Jairo Palta

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Correspondence to Yinglong Chen or Kadambot H. M. Siddique.

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Chen, Y., Rengel, Z., Palta, J. et al. Efficient root systems for enhancing tolerance of crops to water and phosphorus limitation. Ind J Plant Physiol. 23, 689–696 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40502-018-0415-3

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  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40502-018-0415-3

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