Running title : Drought resilience and root system architecture
Core ideas : Drought leads to significant crop yield loss demanding engineering for resilience. Root system architecture (RSA) is the primary structure responding to drought. RSA can be engineered genetically to modify anatomy, physiology, and morphology. Along with high-throughput phenotyping, RSA can be studied comprehensively.
Prospects Of Developing Drought Resilience In Crop Plants Through Strategic Modifications In Root System Architecture
Anmol Kalra1, Shailendra Goel1*, and Ani A. Elias2*
1Department of Botany, University of Delhi, Delhi, India; 2Institute of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India.
*Corresponding authors: anianna01@gmail.com, shailendragoel@gmail.com
ORCID: AK – 0000-0002-5929-4264; SG –0000-0002-8731-8892; AAE – 0000-0002-3360-6979
Author contributions: AAE and SG equally contributed in conceptualization of the manuscript. The original draft was written by AK. All authors reviewed, edited, and agreed to the final manuscript submitted.
Abbreviations : ABA, abscisic acid; ARF7, auxin response factor 7; AQPs, aquaporins; BADH, betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase; CDPK, Ca-dependent kinases; CT, X-ray computed tomography; DEGs, differentially expressed genes; dro1 , deeper rooting 1; EC, electrical capacitance ERT, electrical resistance tomography; GPR, ground-penetrating radar; GSA. Gravitropic set-point angle; IAA3, indole-3 acteic acid; LEA, Late Embryogenesis Abundant; LR, lateral roots; MIP, Major Intrinsic Proteins; MRI, magnetic resonance imaging; PEG, polyethylene glycol; PIP, Plasma Membrane Intrinsic Proteins; POD, peroxide dismutase; RAM, root apical meristem; ROS, reactive oxygen species; RSA, root system architecture; RWC, relative water content; SnRK2, Snf1-related kinase; SOD, superoxide dismutase; SRL, specific root length; SUT, sucrose transporters; TIP, Tonoplast Intrinsic Proteins; QTLs, quantitative trait locus
Abstract
Drought alone and with associated abiotic stress such as heat and nutrient deficiency leads to significant agricultural crop loss. Thus, with changing climatic conditions, it is important to develop resilience measures in agricultural systems against drought stress. In this review, we discuss the modifications in plants while responding to drought giving special focus on roots as they are the primary sense organs in this context. Prospects of genomic crop improvement by pointing out the focus areas to engineer root system architecture and genomic regions involved in the related traits are also discussed. We have also listed instruments and software facilitating high throughput phenotyping of root system in field conditions as the phenotyping of root system architecture in the field is a challenge.
Keywords: drought resilience, root system, genomic crop improvement, root phenotyping