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ARS Home » Plains Area » Fort Collins, Colorado » Center for Agricultural Resources Research » Water Management and Systems Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #368690
Research Project: Improving the Sustainability of Irrigated Farming Systems in Semi-Arid Regions

Location: Water Management and Systems Research

Title: Drought-induced root pressure in Sorghum bicolor

Author
item DROBNITCH, SARAH - Colorado State University
item Comas, Louise
item Flynn, Nora
item IBARRA DE CABALLERO, JORGE - Colorado State University
item BARTON, RYAN - Colorado State University
item Wenz, Joshua
item PERSON, TAYLOR - Colorado State University
item Bushey, Julie
item JAHN, COURTNEY - Colorado State University
item Gleason, Sean

Submitted to: Frontiers in Plant Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/8/2021
Publication Date: 2/3/2021
Citation: Drobnitch, S.T., Comas, L.H., Flynn, N.E., Ibarra De Caballero, J., Barton, R.W., Wenz, J.A., Person, T., Bushey, J.A., Jahn, C.E., Gleason, S.M. 2021. Drought-induced root pressure in Sorghum bicolor. Frontiers in Plant Science. 12. Article e571072. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2021.571072.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2021.571072

Interpretive Summary: Root pressure, manifested as sap flowing from cut stems, is a phenomenon in some species that has perplexed biologist for much of the last century. It is associated with increased crop production under drought but its regulation and function remain largely unknown. In this study, we investigated the initiation, mechanisms, and possible adaptive function of root pressure in six genotypes of Sorghum bicolor during a drought experiment in the greenhouse. We observed that root pressure was actively turned up in plants exposed to drought and positively correlated with fine root production. We found that root pressure in droughted plants was correlated with few other growth parameters or physiological traits. Using molecular techniques, we identified gene activity that increased or decreased in plants with high vs. low root pressure, focusing on genes associated with aquaporins, various membrane transporters, and ATPases that could regulate water transport of water and ions within cell organs and among cells to generate positive xylem pressure in root tissue.

Technical Abstract: Root pressure, manifested as profusive sap flowing from cut stems, is a phenomenon in some species that has perplexed biologist for much of the last century. It is associated with increased crop production under drought but its regulation and function remain largely unknown. In this study, we investigated the initiation, mechanisms, and possible adaptive function of root pressure in six genotypes of Sorghum bicolor during a drought experiment in the greenhouse. We observed that root pressure was turned up in plants exposed to drought and positively correlated with fine root production. We found that root pressure in droughted plants was correlated with few other physiological or biometric traits. Using RNA-Seq, we identified gene transcripts that were up- and down-regulated in plants with root pressure expression, focusing on genes for aquaporins, membrane transporters, and ATPases that could regulate inter- and intra-cellular transport of water and ions to generate positive xylem pressure in root tissue.