A soil-free root observation system for the study of root-microorganism interactions in maize

作者：Planchamp Chantal; Balmer Dirk; Hund Andreas; Mauch Mani Brigitte^*

来源：Plant and Soil, 2013, 367(1-2): 605-614.

DOI：10.1007/s11104-012-1497-8

• Corn
• Zea mays
• Root infection
• Pathogen
• Rhizobacteria
• Colletotrichum graminicola
• Pseudomonas putida

The root surface of a plant usually exceeds the leaf area and is constantly exposed to a variety of soil-borne microorganisms. Root pathogens and pests, as well as belowground interactions with beneficial microbes, can significantly influence a plants' performance. Unfortunately, the analysis of these interactions is often limited because of the arduous task of accessing roots growing in soil. Here, we present a soil-free root observation system (SF-ROBS) designed to grow maize (Zea mays) plants and to study root interactions with either beneficial or pathogenic microbes.
The SF-ROBS consists of pouches lined with wet filter paper supplying nutrient solution.
The aspect of maize grown in the SF-ROBS was similar to soil-grown maize; the plant growth was similar for the shoot but different for the roots (biomass and length increased in the SF-ROBS). SF-ROBS-grown roots were successfully inoculated with the hemi-biotrophic maize fungal pathogen Colletotrichum graminicola and the beneficial rhizobacteria Pseudomonas putida KT2440. Thus, the SF-ROBS is a system suitable to study two major belowground phenomena, namely root fungal defense reactions and interactions of roots with beneficial soil-borne bacteria.
This system contributes to a better understanding of belowground plant microbe interactions in maize and most likely also in other crops.

• 出版日期2013-6