Chemistry Reference
In-Depth Information
5. Importance of root traits for the seed growth and development
Quality and physiological activity of the roots
is necessary condition for growth and
optimal shoot development and subsequently development of the seeds with good quality
at the majority of the field crops. This relation is also valid vice versa - the seed quality has
positive influence on the root growth and development. Growing environmental conditions
(=provenance), especially drought and high temperatures affect basic metabolic pathways,
chemical composition of seeds, seed traits and traits of sprouting plants rootlets. These
changes of the seeds are connected with efficiency of water utilization and especially with
development of the root system. The research results show relatively large influence of seed
traits on the root development. The genotypes with good germination under unfavorable
conditions develop larger root system in field conditions, i.e. volume, length, deep of roots
penetration after sowing and also during following vegetation period [17, 18, 19, 22, 28].
Coming climate change influencing mainly the variability of weather conditions during the
vegetation period will increases the importance of the root system as the factor which plays
more and more important role in the above-ground production and seed production too.
The importance of the seeds and roots are still neglected in the plant production.
Misunderstanding of the roots importance can be found in the lot of scientific works, where
detailed statistical analysis often evaluate only in above-ground parts of the plant
physiological, anatomical, morphological and other properties, their relationships, but
without knowledge about influence of the root system on the shoot analyzed traits and their
relations.
Physiologically, the roots are the most sensitive part of the plant. As follows from the
physiological literature, the basic changes of root system thanks to environmental conditions
have following general way and influence: Drought changes deep of root penetration, low
pH has influence on the length of roots, influence of salinity depends on the salinity type,
high temperature influences number of root branches, low nutrients level is connected with
the increase of the root system length, decrease of roots volume and number of branches,
combination of abiotic stresses has large influence on the decrease of every trait, but not in
every type of environmental conditions. These types of changes can have influence on
transport of water and metabolites in plants and also on the shoot and seed growth and
development. The developmental and growth stage, in which stress appear is very
important. It is possible to show this on the rapeseed [17,18].
The speed of the root growth initialization after the winter period and the change of the
ratio between dry weight of roots and above-ground parts in favor of the root mass in dry
conditions during the vegetation period had the greatest impact on drought tolerance and
yield of rapeseed. (The spring regeneration is expressed by the ratio of the dry weight of
roots in spring and autumn. The variety with the largest growth rate of dry matter to roots
has the seed production with best seed quality, i.e. weight, vigor, germination, optimal
chemical composition).
