Drought rhizogenesis is an adaptive root response to drought stress. New emerging roots are short, swollen, and hairless, capable of retaining turgor pressure and resistant to prolonged desiccation. Upon rewatering, they are capable of quickly forming an absorbing root surface and hair growth. This
rhizogenesis has been called a
drought tolerance strategy for after-stress recovery.[1][2]
Structural features
These drought induced short roots can be found on either both the
tap root and
lateral roots or on lateral roots only. These patterns are mostly likely a reflection of the plants' individual ability to maintain
meristematic activity under low water potential.[3]
This morphological phenomenon was found in some families of
Angiospermdicotperennials and has been documented in Arabidopsis thaliana.[4]
References
^Vartanian, N. (1996), "The Drought Rhizogenesis", in Waisel, Yoav; Eshel, Amram; Kafkafi, Uzi (eds.), Plant Roots: The Hidden Half,
CRC Press (published March 2002), pp. 471–482,
ISBN0-8247-0631-5
^Vartanian, N., "Some aspects of structural and functional modifications induced by drought in root systems", Plant Soil 63 (1981): 83-92.
^Balestrini, S. and N. Vartanian, "Rhizogenic activity during water stress-induced senescence in Brassica napus var. oleifera", Physiologie Vegetale 21, volume 2 (1983a): 269-277.
^Vartanian, N., L. Marcotte, and J. Giraudat (1994), Drought Rhizogenesis in Arabidopsis thaliana. Differential responses of hormonal mutants, Plant Physiology, 104, 761-767. Available online:
http://www.plantphysiol.org/content/104/2/761.full.pdf