Plant, Animal & Microbe Genomes X Conference Plant, Animal & Microbe Genomes X ConferenceJanuary 12-16, 2002
Town & Country Convention Center
San Diego, CA
Workshop: Abiotic Stress
Root traits have been measured in barley genetic stocks under control and stressed treatments. Initial hydroponics experiments revealed genetic and treatment effects on root traits. Treatments studied included, drought, salt, no-nitrogen, etiolated and a control. Traits such as root weight, del.13C, %C, del.15N and %N have been mapped in a doubled haploid population subject to salt and control treatments. Work on drought and salt stress has been extended to field and controlled environment soil-trunking experiments irrigated with fresh and brackish water, and root traits compared with plant performance in the field. From these and other stressed field experiments it became clear that seedling establishment is an important determinant for subsequent responses to abiotic stress. A two-dimensional laboratory test has been developed to investigate seedling root traits: seminal root number, root length, growth rate and rooting angle. Large variation exists for these traits especially between wild, landrace and cultivated barley germplasm. QTL mapping experiments have been conducted to locate genomic regions that control these seedling root traits. Complementary analysis of the root transciptome, under the various stresses, has also been carried out. Over 1,000 ESTs from each treatment have been generated and data arising from these has been analysed and compared. The EST information plus that emerging from parallel analysis of gene expression have identified transcripts specifically up-regulated in by certain stresses. These data will be discussed in the context of plant responses to abiotic stress.