Articles
What Is Root System Architecture and Why Is It Vital for Growth?
The root system architecture (RSA) is dynamic and can change due to age, environmental conditions, and nutrient status within a species or plant. RSA plays a significant role in the underground basic plant functioning of anchorage and foraging for nutrients and water. RSA changes to respond to abiotic stresses in soil, like temperature, drought, salinity,… Continue reading…
Additional reading
How Do Stomatal Traits and Transpiration Efficiency Impact Crop Yield?
Stomatal traits must meet mesophyll demand for CO2, conserve water, and maintain optimum leaf temperatures for higher transpiration efficiency. The stomatal traits associated with transpiration efficiency include size, density, patterning, guard cells, and responsiveness to environmental factors. So far, no crop breeding effort using stomatal traits has been able to prevent water loss/ transpiration without… Continue reading…
How Does Plant Architecture and Water Use Efficiency Impact Crop Yields?
The effects of different plant architectures on population-level evapotranspiration are not well-known. Plant architecture influences population structure, thereby altering the microclimate. Soil water use can be reduced through shading to minimize evaporation and by reducing canopy temperature. Around 97-99% of the water absorbed by plants is lost as transpiration. As water shortages are increasing and… Continue reading…
How Does Canopy Cover in Deserts Impact Soil, Biodiversity, and Urban Climates?
Vegetation in deserts is patchy and acts as islands of resources. Plant canopy can increase soil fertility, moisture, and microbial diversity. The tree canopy has several benefits for urban settlements in deserts, such as reducing temperatures, air pollutants, and carbon emissions. Deserts make up 33% of terrestrial ecosystems and are present on nearly every continent. They… Continue reading…
What Are the Key Root Traits to Improve Transpiration Efficiency?
Root traits are one of the main factors influencing transpiration efficiency or the yield produced per unit of water transpired. The root traits to improve transpiration efficiency are rooting depth, root: shoot ratio, density, root hairs, and mucilage. No root architecture type suits all species or even all hydrological conditions. Transpiration efficiency is used to… Continue reading…
The Root Report
We’re excited to share the latest edition of the Root Report — The guide to recent breakthroughs in root science and its real-world applications. This report compiles the latest research on how plant roots impact ecosystems, agricultural systems, and even methane emissions in peatlands. It also highlights innovative technologies, like in-situ root imaging tools, that… Continue reading…
Can Boosting Photosynthesis Efficiency Improve Crop Yields?
Photosynthesis efficiency is very low, averaging 1-3.5% in the fields, and is the next bottleneck for increasing grain production. Photosynthesis has not been a primary target of improvement in crop breeding programs aimed at increasing yields. Scientists estimate that photosynthesis efficiency must be increased by 50% to meet future global food security requirements. The rate… Continue reading…
