Roots, Shoots & Grain Yield in Roots, Shoots & Grain Yield in Rice, Maize & SorghumRice, Maize & Sorghum
H E Shashidhar, Associates and StudentsDepartment of Plant Biotechnology
College of Agriculture, GKVK, Bangalore 560065
Idea and Methodology• Plants with deep and extensive root systems ‘empower’ the
plant to access relatively more water from deeper soil layers,• Plants with deeper root system have a better chance of
survival in a depleting moisture regime,• Traditional accessions of rice manifest deep rooting nature
due to continued (natural) selection in adverse growth conditions,
• Genotypes with deep rooting nature may not necessarily be high yielding in germplasm accessions,
• Improved varieties have relatively shallow roots as they were subjected to selection
System of Root study
• Hydroponic– Root system grown in water or nutrient solution
• Aeroponic– Root system grown in air with periodic (fine) spray
of nutrients .
• Soil column– Roots measured in soil filled tubes, raised
structures etc
System of Root study
• Pin Box method– Roots screened in slanting bozes where one side
has pins attached to it to anchor roots
• Rhizotron– An artificial chamber where factors can be
controlled
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