Photosynthetica 1998, 35(3):381-390 | DOI: 10.1023/A:1006912318352

Relationships among Rhizosphere Oxygen Deficiency, Root Restriction, Photosynthesis, and Growth in Baldcypress (Taxodium Distichum L.) Seedlings

S.R. Pezeshki1, M.I. Santos2
1 Department of Biology, University of Memphis, Memphis, USA
2 Florida Department of Agriculture, Division of Plant Industry, Homestead, USA

Seedlings of baldcypress (Taxodium distichum L.) grown in sealed containers containing nutrient solution were subjected to root-zone oxygen deficiency, physical restriction, and the combined stresses in a greenhouse. After six weeks of treatments (Phase I), half of the plants were harvested. The remaining half were allowed to continue (Phase II) under various treatments except plants that had restricted roots were freed thus allowing free expansion of roots into the nutrient solution. Oxygen deficiency and root physical restriction inhibited plant gas exchange parameters. Net photosynthetic rate (PN) was significantly higher in aerated unrestricted root (AUR) plants than in aerated root restricted (AR) plants and in anaerobic root unrestricted (FUR) plants than in anaerobic root restricted (FR) plants. After Phase I, FUR plants' shoot and root biomasses were 57.0 and 30.6 % lower than those of AUR plants, and AUR plants showed 3.3 and 3.8 times greater shoot and root biomasses than the AR plants, respectively. During Phase II, PN recovered rapidly in plants under aerated conditions, but not in plants under anaerobic conditions. The removal of physical root restriction under both aerated and anaerobic conditions resulted in rapid shoot and root growth in seedlings. Hence, root restriction or root-zone anaerobiosis, reductions in plant gas exchange, and biomass production in baldcypress were closely interrelated. In addition, root release from restriction was related to the regain of photosynthetic activity and biomass growth. The results support the previously proposed source-sink feed-back inhibition of photosynthesis in plants subjected to root-zone oxygen deficiency or physical restriction.

Additional key words: anaerobiosis; biomass; relative growth rate; root shoot ratio; shoot

Prepublished online: September 1, 1998; Published: January 1, 1998  Show citation

ACS AIP APA ASA Harvard Chicago IEEE ISO690 MLA NLM Turabian Vancouver
Pezeshki, S.R., & Santos, M.I. (1998). Relationships among Rhizosphere Oxygen Deficiency, Root Restriction, Photosynthesis, and Growth in Baldcypress (Taxodium Distichum L.) Seedlings. Photosynthetica, 35(3), 381-390. doi: 10.1023/A:1006912318352
Share...
Download citation
  • BibTeX (.bib)
  • Bookends (.ris)
  • EasyBib (.ris)
  • EndNote (.enw)
  • EndNote 8 (.xml)
  • ISI WoS (.isi)
  • Medlars (.medlars)
  • Mendeley (.ris)
  • MODS (.xml)
  • Papers (.ris)
  • RefWorks (.txt)
  • RefManager (.ris)
  • RIS (.ris)
  • MS Word (.xml)
  • Zotero (.ris)
    • Open full article

    References

    1. Atwell, B.J.: The effect of soil compaction on wheat during early tillering, 1, Growth development and root structure.-New Phytol. 115: 29-35, 1990. Go to original source...
    2. Barta, A.L.: Supply and partitioning of assimilates to roots of Medicago sativa L. and Lotus corniculatus L. under anoxia.-Plant Cell Environ. 10: 151-156, 1987. Go to original source...
    3. Barta, A.L.: Response of alfalfa and birdsfoot trefoil to shoot removal and root anoxia.-Crop Sci. 28: 275-278, 1988a. Go to original source...
    4. Barta, A.L.: Response of field-grown alfalfa to root waterlogging and shoot removal. I. Plant injury and carbohydrate and mineral content of roots.-Agron. J. 80: 889-892, 1988b. Go to original source...
    5. Bengough, A.G., Mullins, C.E.: Restriction to root growth limit the yield of shoots of irrigated white clover.-Aust. J. agr. Res. 44: 121-135, 1990. Go to original source...
    6. Boone, F.R., Veen, B.W.: The influence of mechanical resistance and phosphate supply on morphology and function of maize roots.-Neth. J. agr. Sci. 30: 179-192, 1982. Go to original source...
    7. Carmi, A., Heuer, B.: The role of roots in control of bean shoot growth.-Ann. Bot. 48: 519-527, 1981. Go to original source...
    8. Carmi, A., Hesketh, J.D., Enos, W.T., Peters, D.B.: Interrelationships between shoot growth and photosynthesis as affected by root growth restriction.-Photosynthetica 17: 240-245, 1983.
    9. Cook, A., Marriott, C.A., Seel, W., Mullins, C.E.: Effects of soil mechanical impedance on root and shoot growth of Lolium perenne, Agrostis capillaris, and Trifolium repens.-J. exp. Bot. 47: 1075-1084, 1996. Go to original source...
    10. Kozlowski, T.T.: Plant response to flooding of soil.-BioScience 34: 162-167, 1984. Go to original source...
    11. Kramer, P.J.: Water Relations in Plants.-Academic Press, New York 1983. Go to original source...
    12. Krizek, D.T., Carmi, A., Mirecki, R.M., Snyder, F.W., Bunce, J.A.: Comparative effects of soil moksture stress and restricted root zone volume on morphogenetic and physiological responses of soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.).-J. exp. Bot. 36: 25-38, 1985. Go to original source...
    13. Ledig, F.T., Bormann, F.H., Wenger, K.F.: The distribution of dry matter growth between shoot and roots in loblolly pine.-Rot. Gaz. 131: 349-359, 1970 Go to original source...
    14. Levitt, J.: Responses of Plants to Environmental Stresses.-Academic Press, New York-London 1972.
    15. Neales, T.F., Incoll, L.D.: The control of leaf photosynthesis rate by the level of assimilate concentration in the leaf: A review of the hypothesis.-Bot. Rev. 34: 107-125, 1968. Go to original source...
    16. NeSmith, D.S.: Influence of root restriction on two cultivars of summer squash (Cucurbita pepo L.).-J. Plant Nutr. 16: 421-431, 1993. Go to original source...
    17. Oussible, M., Crookston, R.K., Larson, W.E.: Subsurface compaction reduces the root and shoot growth and grain yield of wheat.-Agron. J. 84: 519-527, 1992. Go to original source...
    18. Peterson, C.M., Klepper, B., Pumphrey, F.V., Rickman, R.W.: Restricted rooting decreases tillering and growth of winter wheat.-Agron. J. 76: 861-863, 1984. Go to original source...
    19. Pezeshki, S.R.: Root responses of flood-tolerant and flood-sensitive tree species to soil redox conditions.-Trees 5: 180-186, 1991. Go to original source...
    20. Pezeshki, S.R.: Differences in patterns of photosynthetic responses to hypoxia in flood-tolerant and flood-sensitive tree species.-Photosynthetica 28: 423-430, 1993.
    21. Pezeshki, S.R.: Plant response to flooding.-In: Wilkinson, R.E. (ed.): Plant-Environment Interactions. Pp. 280-321. Marcel Dekker, New York-Basel-Hong Kong 1994.
    22. Radford, P.J.: Growth analysis formulae-their use and abuse.-Crop Sci. 7: 171-175, 1967. Go to original source...
    23. Robbins, N.S., Pharr, D.M.: Effect of restricted root growth on carbohydrate metabolism and whole-plant growth of Cucumis sativus L.-Plant Physiol. 87: 409-413, 1988. Go to original source...
    24. Ruff, M.S., Krizek, D.T., Mirecki, R.M., Inouye, D.W.: Restricted root zone volume: Influence on growth and development of tomato.-J. amer. Soc. hort. Sci. 112: 763-769, 1987. Go to original source...
    25. Stitt, M., Schulze, D.: Does Rubisco control the rate of photosynthesis and plant growth? An exercise in molecular ecophysiology.-Plant Cell Environ. 17: 465-487, 1994. Go to original source...

    Return to the content