TY - JOUR

T1 - Root-root interactions: extending our perspective to be more inclusive of the range of theories in ecology and agriculture using in-vivo analyses

AU - Faget, Marc

AU - Nagel, Kerstin A.

AU - Walter, Achim

AU - Herrera, Juan M.

AU - Jahnke, Siegfried

AU - Schurr, Ulrich

AU - Temperton, Victoria Martine

PY - 2013/7/1

Y1 - 2013/7/1

N2 - BackgroundThere is a large body of literature on competitive interactions among plants, but many studies have only focused on above-ground interactions and little is known about root-root dynamics between interacting plants. The perspective on possible mechanisms that explain the outcome of root-root interactions has recently been extended to include non-resource-driven mechanisms (as well as resource-driven mechanisms) of root competition and positive interactions such as facilitation. These approaches have often suffered from being static, partly due to the lack of appropriate methodologies for in-situ non-destructive root characterization.ScopeRecent studies show that interactive effects of plant neighbourhood interactions follow non-linear and non-additive paths that are hard to explain. Common outcomes such as accumulation of roots mainly in the topsoil cannot be explained solely by competition theory but require a more inclusive theoretical, as well as an improved methodological framework. This will include the question of whether we can apply the same conceptual framework to crop versus natural species.ConclusionsThe development of non-invasive methods to dynamically study root-root interactions in vivo will provide the necessary tools to study a more inclusive conceptual framework for root-root interactions. By following the dynamics of root-root interactions through time in a whole range of scenarios and systems, using a wide variety of non-invasive methods, (such as fluorescent protein which now allows us to separately identify the roots of several individuals within soil), we will be much better equipped to answer some of the key questions in root physiology, ecology and agronomy.

AB - BackgroundThere is a large body of literature on competitive interactions among plants, but many studies have only focused on above-ground interactions and little is known about root-root dynamics between interacting plants. The perspective on possible mechanisms that explain the outcome of root-root interactions has recently been extended to include non-resource-driven mechanisms (as well as resource-driven mechanisms) of root competition and positive interactions such as facilitation. These approaches have often suffered from being static, partly due to the lack of appropriate methodologies for in-situ non-destructive root characterization.ScopeRecent studies show that interactive effects of plant neighbourhood interactions follow non-linear and non-additive paths that are hard to explain. Common outcomes such as accumulation of roots mainly in the topsoil cannot be explained solely by competition theory but require a more inclusive theoretical, as well as an improved methodological framework. This will include the question of whether we can apply the same conceptual framework to crop versus natural species.ConclusionsThe development of non-invasive methods to dynamically study root-root interactions in vivo will provide the necessary tools to study a more inclusive conceptual framework for root-root interactions. By following the dynamics of root-root interactions through time in a whole range of scenarios and systems, using a wide variety of non-invasive methods, (such as fluorescent protein which now allows us to separately identify the roots of several individuals within soil), we will be much better equipped to answer some of the key questions in root physiology, ecology and agronomy.

KW - Agriculture

KW - Ecology

KW - Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

KW - Models, Theoretical

KW - Plant Roots

KW - Positron-Emission Tomography

KW - Soil

KW - Species Specificity

KW - Biology

KW - Sustainability Science

KW - Ecosystems Research

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84876545600&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1093/aob/mcs296

DO - 10.1093/aob/mcs296

M3 - Journal articles

C2 - 23378521

VL - 112

SP - 253

EP - 266

JO - Annals of Botany

JF - Annals of Botany

SN - 0305-7364

IS - 2

ER -