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