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Genotypic variability of oil palm root system distribution in the field. Consequences for water uptake

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Abstract

Previous studies relating root systems and drought tolerance in oil palm focused mainly on biomass. Yet, total root length (TRL), total root surface area (TRS), and root distribution in the soil better determine water uptake. These morphological traits were studied on 3 oil palm genotypes displaying a contrasting drought tolerance. A new concept of potential root water extraction ratio (PRER) was developed using measured half-distances between roots and some assumptions about the distance of water migration from soil to root. PRER was determined in conjunction with soil moisture extraction efficiency (SMEE). The presumed tolerant genotype (T) had higher TRL, TRS and PRER than the susceptible genotype (S), whilst the performance of the control genotype (I) was intermediate. Surprisingly, during a period of moderate water deficit, T had a lower SMEE than S, which was interpreted successfully with PRER, as the result of a better access to a large volume of soil and of a slower drying out of the soil around the roots. PRER appears as a helpful indicator for comparing or ranking genotypes, and for addressing better the complexity of the genetic variability of drought tolerance.

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Abbreviations

df:

degrees of freedom

Eti :

root water extraction per soil layer i between two dates (cm3 d-1)

AET:

actual evapotranspiration (mm d-1)

PET:

potential evapotranspiration (mm d-1)

FTSW:

fraction of transpirable soil water (no dimension)

I:

control oil palm genotype with intermediate drought tolerance

PAW:

potential available water in soil (mm)

PRER:

potential root extraction ratio for water (no dimension)

r:

maximum distance of water migration to root surface area (cm)

R1:

primary root or coarse root

R2:

secondary root or medium root

R3:

tertiary root

R4:

quaternary root

(R3 + R4):

fine roots

RD:

average distance between roots (m)

RER:

root elongation rate (cm d-1)

RLD:

root length density (m m-3)

RSi :

total root surface area in the soil layer i

S:

oil palm genotype susceptible to drought

SMEE:

actual soil moisture extraction efficiency

\( {\theta_{{z_i}}} \) :

volumetric water content at soil layer z i (cm3 cm-3)

θ fcz :

volumetric water content at field capacity at soil layer z (cm3 cm-3)

T:

drought tolerant oil palm genotype

TRDM:

total root dry matter (kg m-2)

TRL:

total root length (km m-2)

TRS:

total root surface area (m2 m-2)

VPD:

vapor pressure deficit (kPa)

Vt :

total soil volume (m3)

Vu :

maximum soil volume available to root for water uptake (m3)

∆Si :

variation of water stock per soil layer i between two dates

Δz :

thickness of a soil layer between z n and z n−1depth (cm)

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Acknowledgements

We thank the Cooperation and Cultural Action Service at the French Embassy in Benin, Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement and Institut National des Recherches Agricoles du Bénin (INRAB), for financial assistance that enabled this study to go ahead. We also thank the technicians at INRAB’s Centre de Recherches Agricoles Plantes Pérennes for their participation in field work, Peter Biggins for his kind help in the correction of this paper and three anonymous reviewers for providing helpful comments that greatly improved this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. INRAB, Centre de Recherches Agricoles sur les Plantes Pérennes (CRA-PP), BP. 01, Pobè, Benin

    Léifi Nodichao

  2. CIRAD, UPR 102, Station de Roujol, F-97170, Petit-Bourg, Guadeloupe, France

    Jean-Louis Chopart

  3. CATIE (Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza), 7170, Turrialba, Costa Rica

    Olivier Roupsard

  4. CIRAD, UMR Eco&Sols (SupAgro, CIRAD, INRA, IRD), 2 Place Viala, F-34060, Montpellier, cedex 02, France

    Olivier Roupsard & Christophe Jourdan

  5. LTHE, UMR 5564 (CNRS, INPG, IRD, UJF), BP 53, F-38041, Grenoble, cedex 9, France

    Michel Vauclin

  6. Laboratoire de Physiologie et Pathologie Végétales, UFR Biosciences, Université de Cocody-Abidjan, B.P. 582, Abidjan, 22, Ivory Coast

    Séverin Aké

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  1. Léifi Nodichao
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Correspondence to Christophe Jourdan.

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Nodichao, L., Chopart, JL., Roupsard, O. et al. Genotypic variability of oil palm root system distribution in the field. Consequences for water uptake. Plant Soil 341, 505–520 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-010-0663-0

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