Response of in situ root phenotypes to potassium stress in cotton

Heyang Tian; Hongchun Sun; Lingxiao Zhu; Ke Zhang; Yongjiang Zhang; Haina Zhang; Jijie Zhu; Xiaoqing Liu; Zhiying Bai; Anchang Li; Liwen Tian; Liantao Liu; Cundong Li

doi:10.7717/peerj.15587

Response of in situ root phenotypes to potassium stress in cotton

PeerJ. 2023 Jun 21:11:e15587. doi: 10.7717/peerj.15587. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of North China Crop Improvement and Regulation/ Key Laboratory of North China Water-saving Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/Key Laboratory of Crop Growth Regulation of Hebei Province/College of Agronomy, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, Hebei, China.
² Cotton Research Institute, Hebei Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences/Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology and Genetic Breeding in Huanghuaihai Semi-Arid Region, Ministry of Agriculture /Hebei Branch of National Cotton Improvement Center, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China.
³ Institute of Cereal and Oil Crops, Hebei Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China.
⁴ Institute of Industrial Crops, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China.

Abstract

Potassium plays a significant role in the basic functions of plant growth and development. Potassium uptake is closely associated with morphological characteristics of the roots. However, the dynamic characteristics of phenotype and lifespan of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) lateral roots and root hairs under low and high potassium stress remain unclear. In this study, potassium stress experiments (low and high potassium, medium potassium as control) were conducted using RhizoPot (an in situ root observation device) to determine the response characteristics of lateral roots and root hairs in cotton under potassium stress. The plant morphology, photosynthetic characteristics, root phenotypic changes, and lifespan of lateral roots and root hairs were measured. Potassium accumulation, aboveground phenotype, photosynthetic capacity, root length density, root dry weight, root diameter, lateral root lifespan, and root hair lifespan under low potassium stress were significantly decreased compared to medium potassium treatment. However, the root hair length of the former was significantly increased than that of the latter. Potassium accumulation and the lateral root lifespan were significantly increased under high potassium treatment, while root length density, root dry weight, root diameter, root hair length, and root hair lifespan were significantly decreased compared to the medium potassium treatment. Notably, there were no significant differences in aboveground morphology and photosynthetic characters. Principal component analysis revealed that lateral root lifespan, root hair lifespan of the first lateral root, and root hair length significantly correlated with potassium accumulation. The root had similar regularity responses to low and high potassium stress except for lifespan and root hair length. The findings of this study enhance the understanding of the phenotype and lifespan of cotton's lateral roots and root hairs under low and high potassium stress.

Keywords: Cotton; Potassium stress; Root architecture; Root phenotype.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Gossypium*
Ion Transport
Phenotype
Plant Roots / genetics
Potassium*

Substances

Potassium

Grants and funding

This study was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 32272220 and 32172120), and the Natural Science Foundation of Hebei Province (No. C2020204066 and C2021204140). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.