Evaluation of root porosity and radial oxygen loss of disomic addition lines of Hordeum marinum in wheat

Hordeum marinum Huds. is a waterlogging-tolerant wild relative of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Greater root porosity (gas volume per root volume) and formation of a barrier to reduce root radial O₂ loss (ROL) contribute to the waterlogging tolerance of H. marinum and these traits are evident in some H. marinum–wheat amphiploids. We evaluated root porosity, ROL patterns and tolerance to hypoxic stagnant conditions for 10 various H. marinum (two accessions) disomic chromosome addition (DA) lines in wheat (two varieties), produced from two H. marinum–wheat amphiploids and their recurrent wheat parents. None of the DA lines had a barrier to ROL or higher root porosity than the wheat parents. Lack of a root ROL barrier in the six DA lines for H. marinum accessionH21 in Chinese Spring (CS) wheat indicates that the gene(s) for this trait do not reside on one of these six chromosomes; unfortunately, chromosome 3 of H. marinum has not been isolated in CS. Unlike the H21–CS amphiploid, which formed a partial ROL barrier in roots, the H90–Westonia amphiploid and the four derived DA lines available did not. The unaltered root aeration traits in the available DA lines challenge the strategy of using H. marinum as a donor of these traits to wheat.Dennis Konnerup, A.I. Malik, A.K.M.R. Islam and Timothy David Colme

Sensitivity of chickpea and faba bean to root-zone hypoxia, elevated ethylene, and carbon dioxide

During soil waterlogging, plants experience O2 deficits, elevated ethylene, and high CO2 in the root-zone. The effects on chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) and faba bean (Vicia faba L.) of ethylene (2 μL L−1), CO2 (2–20% v/v) or deoxygenated stagnant solution were evaluated. Ethylene and high CO2 reduced root growth of both species, but O2 deficiency had the most damaging effect and especially so for chickpea. Chickpea suffered root tip death when in deoxygenated stagnant solution. High CO2 inhibited root respiration and reduced growth, whereas sugars accumulated in root tips, of both species. Gas-filled porosity of the basal portion of the primary root of faba bean (23%, v/v) was greater than for chickpea (10%), and internal O2 movement was more prominent in faba bean when in an O2-free medium. Ethylene treatment increased the porosity of roots. The damaging effects of low O2, such as death of root tips, resulted in poor recovery of root growth upon reaeration. In conclusion, ethylene and high CO2 partially inhibited root extension in both species, but low O2 in deoxygenated stagnant solution had the most damaging effect, even causing death of root tips in chickpea, which was more sensitive to the low O2 condition than faba bean

Contrasting submergence tolerance in two species of stem-succulent halophytes is not determined by differences in stem internal oxygen dynamics

Background and Aims Many stem-succulent halophytes experience regular or episodic flooding events, which may compromise gas exchange and reduce survival rates. This study assesses submergence tolerance, gas exchange and tissue oxygen (O(2)) status of two stem-succulent halophytes with different stem diameters and from different elevations of an inland marsh. Methods Responses to complete submergence in terms of stem internal O(2) dynamics, photosynthesis and respiration were studied for the two halophytic stem-succulents Tecticornia auriculata and T. medusa. Plants were submerged in a glasshouse experiment for 3, 6 and 12 d and O(2) levels within stems were measured with microelectrodes. Photosynthesis by stems in air after de-submergence was also measured. Key Results Tecticornia medusa showed 100 % survival in all submergence durations whereas T. auriculata did not survive longer than 6 d of submergence. O(2) profiles and time traces showed that when submerged in water at air-equilibrium, the thicker stems of T. medusa were severely hypoxic (close to anoxic) when in darkness, whereas the smaller diameter stems of T. auriculata were moderately hypoxic. During light periods, underwater photosynthesis increased the internal O(2) concentrations in the succulent stems of both species. Stems of T. auriculata temporally retained a gas film when first submerged, whereas T. medusa did not. The lower O(2) in T. medusa than in T. auriculata when submerged in darkness was largely attributed to a less permeable epidermis. The submergence sensitivity of T. auriculata was associated with swelling and rupturing of the succulent stem tissues, which did not occur in T. medusa. Conclusions The higher submergence tolerance of T. medusa was not associated with better internal aeration of stems. Rather, this species has poor internal aeration of the succulent stems due to its less permeable epidermis; the low epidermal permeability might be related to resistance to swelling of succulent stem tissues when submerged