system morphologies, which may explain some of the improved growth under limiting conditions. The objectives of the study were 1) to determine if differences exist in root system morphologies among SG ‘Exclamation’, NG ‘Exclamation’, and nine cucurbit
At its most basic, grafting is the replacement of one root system with another containing more desirable traits. Grafting of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) onto disease-resistant rootstocks is an increasingly popular alternative for managing economically damaging soilborne diseases. Although certain rootstocks have demonstrated ancillary benefits in the form of improved tolerance to edaphic abiotic stress, the mechanisms behind the enhanced stress tolerance are not well understood. Specific traits within root system morphology (RSM), in both field crops and vegetables, can improve growth in conditions under abiotic stress. A greenhouse study was conducted to compare the RSM of 17 commercially available tomato rootstocks and one commercial field cultivar (Florida-47). Plants were grown in containers filled with a mixture of clay-based soil conditioner and pool filter sand (2:1 v/v) and harvested at 2, 3, or 4 weeks after emergence. At harvest, roots were cleaned, scanned, and analyzed with an image analysis system. Data collected included total root length (TRL), average root diameter, specific root length (SRL), and relative diameter class. The main effect of cultivar was significant (P ≤ 0.05) for all response variables and the main effect of harvest date was only significant (P ≤ 0.01) for TRL. ‘RST-106’ rootstock had the longest TRL, whereas ‘Beaufort’ had the shortest. ‘BHN-1088’ had the thickest average root diameter, which was 32% thicker than the thinnest, observed in ‘Beaufort’. SRL in ‘Beaufort’ was 60% larger than ‘BHN-1088’. This study demonstrated that gross differences exist in RSM of tomato rootstocks and that, when grown in a solid porous medium, these differences can be determined using an image analysis system.
constitutive rootstock effect on growth and yield. Many of the commercially available rootstocks, including those shown to improve water use efficiency, have significantly different root system morphologies ( Suchoff et al., 2017 ). Whether these rootstocks
this decrease in hydraulic conductance at lower temperatures, but these values did not differ between species ( Bloom et al., 2004 ). Root system morphology plays a critical role in hydraulic conductance. Plants with thin average root diameter show
the displacement and tensile force in ( A ) set I, ( B ) set II, and ( C ) set III. LED = light-emitting diode. Fig. 6. Difference in root system morphology in Populus sieboldii × Populus grandidentata reared under different light
be attributed to changes in root system morphology (RSM) under stress. Root system morphoplasticity under stress can improve growth in limiting conditions; however, intrinsic root system morphological traits play a significant role in a plant
, P. 2003 Fertigation studies and irrigation scheduling in drip irrigation system in tomato crop ( Lycopersicon esculentum L.) Eur. J. Agron. 19 327 340 Suchoff, D.H. Gunter, C.C. Louws, F.J. 2017 Comparative analysis of root system morphology in
Abstract
The genus Quercus comprises a major group of woody landscape plants that differ widely in root system morphology and recovery from transplanting (2, 6). Quercus alba has a coarse root system and is more difficult to transplant than the more fibrous-rooted Quercus rubra (2).
. Characterizing Tomato Rootstock Root System Morphology Tomato growers are increasingly using grafting to enhance in-field production and reduce losses to soilborne disease. Suchoff et al. (p. 319) developed a screening method to differentiate and characterize