Potassium Improves Drought Stress Tolerance in Plants by Affecting Root Morphology, Root Exudates and Microbial Diversity.

ABSTRACT: Potassium (K) reduces the deleterious effects of drought stress on plants. However, this mitigation has been studied mainly in the aboveground plant pathways, while the effect of K on root-soil interactions in the underground part is still underexplored. Here, we conducted the experiments to investigate how K enhances plant resistance and tolerance to drought by controlling rhizosphere processes. Three culture methods (sand, water, and soil) evaluated two rapeseed cultivars' root morphology, root exudates, soil nutrients, and microbial community structure under different K supply levels and water conditions to construct a defensive network of the underground part. We found that K supply increased the root length and density and the organic acids secretion. The organic acids were significan

SUBMITTER: Xu Q 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7996290 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature