Ideal root architecture for phosphorus acquisition of plants under water and phosphorus coupled stresses: From simulation to application

Under water and phosphorus (P) coupled stresses, root architecture may be related to P acquisition efficiency of plants. Understanding the relationship between root architecture and P acquisition efficiency may provide basic information for improving P acquisition efficiency of plants. In the present study, we quantitatively described the effects of root architecture on P acquisition efficiency by computer simulation together with controlled biological experiments so as to determine an ideal root architecture for efficient P acquisition under water and P coupled stresses. Our results indicate that under given soil water conditions, the ideal root architecture for P acquisition efficiency of a tap root plant (as represented by common bean) is an "umbrella-shape" root system whose basal roots tend to be shallow in the P-rich topsoil and tap roots tend to be deep for water in the subsoil. Meanwhile, the ideal root architecture for a fibrous root plant (as represented by upland rice) is a "beard-shape' root system with the moderately dispersed yet uniformly distributed adventitious and lateral roots so as to keep most roots in the topsoil for P and a few roots in the subsoil for water.