Rooting around for improved crop performance

CSIRO Plant Industry research in Western Australia has shown that nitrogen uptake in wheats with early vigour is 60 to 68 per cent higher than the commercial variety Janz in the first 20 centimetres of soil and up to twice as much in the layer between 20 and 70 centimetres.

Using glass-windowed root growth boxes, Dr Jairo Palta compared the root growth and proliferation of the common variety Janz with two wheat breeding lines - Vig 18 and B18 - selected by CSIRO Plant Industry researchers in Canberra for their early vigour.

While the root depth reached by all three varieties was similar, root branching, particularly in the 0.2 to 0.7m layer of the soil profile, was more prolific in the vigorous wheats.

Early and more abundant root branching increased the root length density, the number of roots, and the capacity of wheat to capture nitrogen.

Wheat varieties that can increase nitrogen uptake significantly will reduce input costs, reduce the risk of nitrogen fertiliser leaching away and improve yield.

Other CSIRO Plant Industry research conducted in the deep sandy soils of WA and under the physical constraints of duplex soils in NSW suggests that the benefits of using wheats with vigorous early growth would be the same in field conditions.

This research is partially supported by the Grains Research and Development Corporation.

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