Browsing by Author "Johnson-Beebout, Sarah E."

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    Rice genotype differences in tolerance of zinc-deficient soils: evidence for the importance of root-induced changes in the rhizosphere
    (Frontiers, 2016-01-11) Mori, Asako; Kirk, Guy J. D.; Lee, Jae-Sung; Morete, Mark J.; Nanda, Amrit K.; Johnson-Beebout, Sarah E.; Wissuwa, Matthias
    Zinc (Zn) deficiency is a major constraint to rice production and Zn is also often deficient in humans with rice-based diets. Efforts to breed more Zn-efficient rice are constrained by poor understanding of the mechanisms of tolerance to deficiency. Here we assess the contributions of root growth and root Zn uptake efficiency, and we seek to explain the results in terms of specific mechanisms. We made a field experiment in a highly Zn-deficient rice soil in the Philippines with deficiency-tolerant and -sensitive genotypes, and measured growth, Zn uptake and root development. We also measured the effect of planting density. Tolerant genotypes produced more crown roots per plant and had greater uptake rates per unit root surface area; the latter was at least as important as root number to overall tolerance. Tolerant and sensitive genotypes took up more Zn per plant at greater planting densities. The greater uptake per unit root surface area, and the planting density effect can only be explained by root-induced changes in the rhizosphere, either solubilizing Zn, or neutralizing a toxin that impedes Zn uptake (possibly HCO − 3 HCO3− or Fe2+), or both. Traits for these and crown root number are potential breeding targets.
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    Soil CO2 venting as one of the mechanisms for tolerance of Zn deficiency by rice in flooded soils
    (Wiley, 2017-09-12) Affholder, Marie-Cecile; Weiss, Dominik J.; Wissuwa, Matthias; Johnson-Beebout, Sarah E.; Kirk, Guy J. D.
    We sought to explain rice (Oryza sativa) genotype differences in tolerance of zinc (Zn) deficiency in flooded paddy soils and the counter-intuitive observation, made in earlier field experiments, that Zn uptake per plant increases with increasing planting density. We grew tolerant and intolerant genotypes in a Zn-deficient flooded soil at high and low planting densities, and found (a) plant Zn concentrations and growth increased with planting density and more so in the tolerant genotype, whereas the concentrations of other nutrients decreased, indicating a specific effect on Zn uptake; (b) the effects of planting density and genotype on Zn uptake could only be explained if the plants induced changes in the soil to make Zn more soluble; and (c) the genotype and planting density effects were both associated with decreases in dissolved CO2 in the rhizosphere soil solution and resulting increases in pH. We suggest the increases in pH caused solubilisation of soil Zn by dissolution of alkali-soluble, Zn-complexing organic ligands from soil organic matter. We conclude that differences in venting of soil CO2 through root aerenchyma were responsible for the genotype and planting density effects.