Skip to main content
ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #299724
Title: Root phenotypic characterization of lesquerella genetic resources

Author
item CRUZ, VON MARK V. - Colorado State University
item Comas, Louise
item Dierig, David

Submitted to: Industrial Crops and Products
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/14/2014
Publication Date: 10/15/2014
Citation: Cruz, V., Comas, L.H., Dierig, D.A. 2014. Root phenotypic characterization of lesquerella genetic resources. Industrial Crops and Products. 62:130-139.

Interpretive Summary: A survey was conducted to gather preliminary information on root variability in the new oilseed crop lesquerella and its sister species Paysonia. The study utilized a subset of the germplasm collection to determine root characteristics of three week old seedlings and two month old plants. Differences in root responses were detected in the two temperature treatments where the plants were grown suggesting the possibility of selecting germplasm with desirable root trait at an early stage. This study provided specific information about the early development of lesquerella and Paysonia roots to which information is relatively scarce or nonexistent.

Technical Abstract: Root systems are crucial for optimizing plant growth and productivity. There has been a push to better understand root morphological and architectural traits and their plasticity because these traits determine the capacity of plants to effectively acquire available water and soil nutrients in the soil profile. In this study, two sets of germplasm materials were used to investigate the root system of the new oilseed crop Physaria fendleri (syn. Lesquerella fendleri) and gather preliminary information on the available variability in root traits in the taxa and determine their response to temperature previously found optimal for above ground biomass development in the field. One experiment consisted of eighteen Physaria accessions grown in germination pouches for 21 days under two temperature treatments (21/13oC and at 30/21oC) then screened for nine root system parameters. Substantial variation in root size (length) was found within the taxon. Apical and total root length were plastic in response to temperature with plants growing longer roots when grown at higher temperature with no difference in other variable associated with temperature. The second experiment consisted of 4 accessions of P. fendleri and its sister genus Paysonia grown for 60 days in the greenhouse. Results from the more mature plants in the greenhouse indicated contrasting response between the two genera. This root variation screening in P. fendleri and Paysonia seedlings provided initial information in lesquerella as basis for future genetic and/or physiological studies relating to its root system.