Rice cycles between drought and well-watered-adapted phenotypes by changing lateral root formation.

ABSTRACT:

Background and aims

Natural rainfed conditions present drought episodes interspersed with periods of moderate to high soil moisture levels. This study investigates the genetic variation in root-to-shoot growth in response to a wet-drought-wet cycle and aims to identify rice (Oryza sativa) lines differing in drought recovery, focusing on detailed root trait investigations.

Methods

In total, 100 different rice accessions were screened under fluctuating moisture across three field seasons for GWAS (genome-wide association study) analysis. In a subset of 20 genotypes, crown root number and leaf length were recorded regularly to calculate a water recovery index (WRI). Two lines contrasting in WRI were grown in a glasshouse experiment to resolve detailed root phenotypes in simulat

SUBMITTER: Bochmann H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12682850 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature