Scientists have discovered how plants adapt their root systems in drought conditions to grow steeper into the soil to access deeper water reserves.
Scientists have discovered how plants adapt their root systems in drought conditions to grow steeper into the soil to access deeper water reserves.
Plant scientists from the University of Nottingham, in collaboration with Shanghai Jiao Tong University, have identified how abscisic acid (ABA), a plant hormone known for its role in drought response, influences root growth angles in cereal crops such as rice and maize. The results have been published in Current Biology.
The study highlights how ABA and auxin, another key hormone, work together to shape root growth angle, providing a potential strategy to develop drought-resistant crops with improved root system architecture.
Read more at: University of Nottingham
Watered (left) vs water stressed (right) image – showing change in root angle to make the architecture steeper (Photo Credit: University of Nottingham)
