Efficacy of Root Zone Temperature Increase in Root and Shoot Development and Hormone Changes in Different Maize Genotypes

Zhenqing Xia, Guixin Zhang, Shibo Zhang, Qi Wang, Yafang Fu and Haidong Lu
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Zhenqing Xia: College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
Guixin Zhang: College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
Shibo Zhang: College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
Qi Wang: College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
Yafang Fu: College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
Haidong Lu: College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China

Agriculture, 2021, vol. 11, issue 6, 1-13

Abstract: In the context of global warming, the effects of warming in the root zone of crops on maize seedling characteristics deserve research attention. Previous studies on the adaptive traits of dryland maize have mainly focused on soil moisture and nutrients, rather than analyzing potential factors for the adaptive traits of root zone warming. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of different root zone warming ranges on the agronomic traits, hormones, and microstructures of maize seedling roots and leaves. The results showed that minor increases in the root zone temperature significantly enhanced maize seedling growth. However, when the temperature in the root zone was excessive, the stem diameter, root surface area, root volume, total root length, dry matter accumulation, and root/shoot biomass of maize seedlings sharply decreased. Under high temperature stress in the root zone, the root conduit area; root stele diameter; root content of trans-zeatin (ZT), gibberellin A 3 (GA 3 ), and indoleacetic acid (IAA); leaf thickness; upper and lower epidermis thickness; and leaf content of ZT and GA 3 were significantly decreased. The hormone content and microstructure changes might be an important reason for root growth maldevelopment and nutrient absorption blockage, and they also affected the leaf growth of maize seedlings. Compared with the ‘senescent’ maize type Shaandan 902 (SD902), the plant microstructure of the ‘stay-green’ maize type Shaandan 609 (SD609) was less affected by increased temperatures, and the ability of the root system to absorb and transport water was stronger, which might explain its tolerance of high temperature stress in the root zone.

Keywords: maize; root zone warmed; anatomical structure; hormone (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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