Plasticity in relative growth rate after a reduction in nitrogen availability is related to root morphological and physiological responses.

ABSTRACT:

Background and aims

To maximize growth and fitness a plant must adjust its phenotype by an amount and speed that matches changes in nitrogen availability. To determine how plastic ontogenetic changes in root physiological and morphological traits interact and whether or not these responses are likely to maximize growth, ontogenetic changes in relative growth rate (RGR, proportional rate of change of plant dry mass), unit root rate (URR, rate of change of plant dry mass per unit root length or area), specific root length (SRL, root length per dry root mass), specific root area (SRA, root area per dry root mass), and other root traits before and after a decrease in nitrogen supply, were studied in ten herbaceous species.

Methods

Plants of each species were grown in hydroponic

SUBMITTER: Useche A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2944969 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature