Description of root system architecture parameters.

<p>Description of root system architecture parameters.</p

Experimental setup for investigating the effect of a neighbour on wheat RSA.

<p>(a) Wheat plant grown in homogeneous MS medium with 0.12% (w/v) phytagel alongside a blackgrass individual. (b) Focal wheat plants were grown under different treatments. (c) Wheat roots system extracted from the medium, laid flat on a transparent plate for scanning. (d) Inverted images with dark roots on a white background, and traced using SmartRoot [<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0178176#pone.0178176.ref036" target="_blank">36</a>]. (e) Second experimental setup, with the focal (<i>i</i>.<i>e</i>., plant of interest) wheat grown in low nutrient (LN) medium and its neighbour (either w, wheat or bd, <i>Brachypodium</i> or bg, blackgrass) grown in a patch of LN or high nutrient (HN) medium.</p

Seminal root characteristics of wheat grown in LN conditions, in the presence of a different neighbour with a LN or HN patch.

<p>The focal wheat plant was grown in low nutrient (LN) medium while its neighbours (w, wheat; bd, <i>Brachypodium</i>; bg, blackgrass) were grown in a patch of low (LN, black triangles) or high nutrient (HN, white squares) medium. (a) Seminal root length, individual root data (black filled circles) and treatment means (red diamonds). (b) Seminal root number mean ± se. (c) Cumulative length of seminals, mean ± se. (d) Lateral root density in the ramified region, individual root data (black filled circles) and treatment means (red diamonds). Data shown are from three separate experiments, <i>n</i> = 7–10 plants. Significance levels of main factors (N, neighbour, P, patch) and their interactions (N x P) are shown. Significant differences amongst neighbours are indicated below the x-axis,^<b>.</b> <i>p</i> < 0.1, * <i>p</i> < 0.05, <i>n</i>.<i>s</i>., not significant.</p

Total fresh weight and root to shoot ratio of wheat and neighbours grown in heterogeneous nutrient conditions.

<p>The focal wheat plant was grown in low nutrient (LN) medium while its neighbours (w, wheat; bd, <i>Brachypodium</i>; bg, blackgrass) were grown in a patch of low (LN, black triangles) or high nutrient (HN, white squares) medium. (a) FW and (b) root to shoot ratio of the focal wheat plant grown in different competitive conditions (w, wheat alone; w-w, wheat against wheat; w-bd, wheat against <i>Brachypodium</i>; w-bg, wheat against blackgrass). (c) FW and (d) root to shoot ratio of neighbours. Data shown as mean ± se, <i>n</i> = 7–10 plants from three separate experiments, except for root to shoot ratio of plant of interest where <i>n</i> = 5–10 from two separate experiments. Significance levels of main factors (N, neighbour, P, patch) and their interactions (N x P) are shown. Significant differences amongst neighbours are indicated below the x-axis,^<b>.</b> <i>p</i> < 0.1, * <i>p</i> < 0.05, ** <i>p</i> < 0.01, *** <i>p</i> < 0.001, <i>n</i>.<i>s</i>., not significant.</p

Characteristics of lateral roots of wheat grown in high nutrient conditions and in the presence of different neighbours (w, wheat alone; w-w, wheat against wheat; w-bd, wheat against <i>Brachypodium</i>; w-bg, wheat against blackgrass).

<p>(a) Mean length for first order laterals ± se. (b) Frequency distribution of first order lateral root length. (c) Mean length for second order laterals ± se. (d) Frequency distribution of second order lateral root length. (e) Mean cumulative length of first and second order laterals ± se. Data obtained from 11–12 plants per treatment in three separate experiments;^<b>.</b> <i>p</i> < 0.1, * <i>p</i> < 0.05, ** <i>p</i> < 0.01.</p