Promotional graphic for Annals of Botany reading “Root Stress Week!” with a thank-you message, featuring the Annals of Botany logo on a black background and a colorful fluorescent microscopy image of a plant root cross-section showing red, green, and yellow tissues.

🌱 Thank you to everyone who joined us for #RootStressWeek!

We hope this week brought new perspectives on root science and stimulated discussion around root responses to stress. We truly appreciate your engagement. 💚

#RootBiology #PlantStress #RootPhysiology #PlantScience

As trees grow older, they adjust how their roots explore the soil, shifting toward more efficient resource uptake, while their dependence on fungal partners remains largely unchanged. This shows that root strategies change naturally with age and that trees in mixed-age forests respond differently than those growing in uniform stands.

🌱⚡🔬#RootStressWeek

Tree age affects key fine root morphological traits but does not interfere strongly with (ecto-)mycorrhizal traits by Yu Qin and co-authors in @annbot.bsky.social

#freeaccess article
👉 doi.org/qj59

#RootBiology #PlantStress #RootPhysiology #PlantScience

🌱⚡🔬#RootStressWeek

Roots go through rapid hydraulic recovery following moderate water stress by Feng-Ping Li and co-authors in @annbot.bsky.social

#freeaccess article
👉 doi.org/qj57

#RootBiology #PlantStress #RootPhysiology #PlantScience

In alpine grasslands, drought-driven shifts in species dominance are governed less by root form than by root function, with species that reallocate carbon from respiration to exudation and deeper rooting gaining a competitive advantage in water and nutrient acquisition under prolonged drought.

🌱⚡🔬#RootStressWeek

Two grasses differ in their absorptive root physiological traits and rooting depth under drought in an alpine steppe by Zhi Zheng and co-authors in @annbot.bsky.social

#freeaccess article
👉 doi.org/qj6f

#RootBiology #RootPhysiology #PlantScience

Wild soybean withstands alkali stress during early establishment by rapidly mobilizing cotyledon reserves and reinforcing hypocotyl–root axis cell walls, revealing stress-resilient traits absent in cultivated soybean that could be utilized to improve crop performance on saline–alkaline soils.

🌱⚡🔬#RootStressWeek

Enhanced lignin and cellulose metabolism promote cell wall synthesis and growth of wild soybean HRA under alkali stress by Yunan Hu and co-authors in @annbot.bsky.social

#freeaccess article
👉 doi.org/qj6d

#RootBiology #RootPhysiology #PlantScience

Salt-tolerant rice genotypes respond to salinity by increasing root porosity and aerenchyma formation via programmed cell death, a root trait tightly linked to limiting Na⁺ transport to shoots while retaining K⁺—highlighting root tissue architecture as a key, selectable target for improving salt tolerance in rice.

🌱⚡🔬#RootStressWeek

The role of aerenchymatous gas spaces in root sodium ion management under salt stress: do they matter in rice? by Subhankar Mondal and co-authors in @annbot.bsky.social

#freeaccess article
👉 doi.org/qj6c

#RootBiology #RootPhysiology #PlantScience

CLV3/EMBRYO-SURROUNDING REGION peptide signalling in legumes links plant development and environmental responses, with pea studies revealing that different CLE receptors play distinct and sometimes opposing roles in controlling shoot growth, especially under cool conditions, highlighting both conserved and flexible functions of this pathway beyond symbiosis.

🌱⚡🔬#RootStressWeek

Upstairs, downstairs: conserved and divergent CLAVATA signalling in shoot meristem development and root symbioses by Tiana Scott and co-authors in @annbot.bsky.social

#freeaccess article
👉 doi.org/qj6b

#RootBiology #RootPhysiology #PlantScience

This study shows that drought recovery in rice is strongly linked to root traits established before stress: genotypes with more thick lateral roots experience fewer structural changes during drought–re-wetting cycles and recover more effectively. ‘ARC 18202’ exemplifies this strategy and represents a promising resource for breeding drought-resilient rice.

🌱⚡🔬#RootStressWeek

Rice cycles between drought and well-watered-adapted phenotypes by changing lateral root formation by Helena Bochmann co-authors in @annbot.bsky.social

#freeaccess article
👉 doi.org/qj56

#RootBiology #PlantStress #RootPhysiology #PlantScience

Oryza longistaminata uses its interconnected rhizomes to buffer water-deficit stress between mother plants and ramets, while both roots and rhizomes adjust their anatomy to cope with drought and flooding, highlighting its strong potential for breeding resilient perennial rice.

🌱⚡🔬#RootStressWeek

Anatomical and physiological responses of roots and rhizomes in Oryza longistaminata to soil water gradients by Zhiwei Song co-authors in @annbot.bsky.social

#freeaccess article
👉 doi.org/qjt3

#RootBiology #PlantStress #RootPhysiology #PlantScience

This study reveals that drought and flooding trigger surprisingly parallel root responses in wheat, including increased aerenchyma formation and reinforced endodermal barriers. Because these contrasting stresses converge on similar root strategies, targeting these common traits could help breeders develop varieties that cope better with both extremes.

🌱⚡🔬#RootStressWeek

Root morphology and anatomy respond similarly to drought and flooding in two wheat cultivars by Tobias Guhr co-authors in @annbot.bsky.social

#freeaccess article
👉 doi.org/qjt2

#RootBiology #PlantStress #RootPhysiology #PlantScience

Modern wheats outperform ancient wheats below ground: they grow deeper, more efficient root systems that improve water access and nitrogen use, helping sustain high yields, showing that breeding for productivity has also shaped root traits in important ways.

🌱⚡🔬#RootStressWeek

Modern wheat has deeper roots than ancient wheats: is this an adaptation to higher productivity? by Arnesta Odone and Kristian Thorup-Kristensen in @annbot.bsky.social

#freeaccess article
👉 doi.org/qjtw

#RootBiology #RootPhysiology #PlantScience

Barley roots activate a coordinated genetic program to cope with waterlogging, and key regulatory genes linked to aerenchyma formation have now been identified. These findings provide promising targets for breeding barley varieties better able to withstand increasingly frequent flooding events.

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Transcriptional signatures associated with waterlogging stress responses and aerenchyma formation in barley root tissue by Orla Sherwood et al. in @annbot.bsky.social

#freeaccess article
👉 doi.org/qjtv

#RootBiology #RootPhysiology #PlantScience

Root decomposition happens faster and earlier than expected, and root thickness, not soil depth, largely controls how quickly roots break down. Tracking individual roots with buried scanners offers a powerful new way to measure decomposition in situ and improve estimates of carbon inputs to soil.

🌱⚡🔬#RootStressWeek

High-throughput monitoring of root diameter reveals the temporal dynamics of root decomposition by Lorène Siegwart et al. in @annbot.bsky.social

#freeaccess article
👉 doi.org/qjtt

#RootBiology #PlantStress #RootPhysiology #PlantScience

Root mucilage helps plants balance water use: it limits transpiration when soil is wet and preserves hydraulic continuity as soil dries. High-mucilage genotypes conserve water early and maintain water uptake longer, making mucilage a promising trait for improving drought resilience.

🌱⚡🔬#RootStressWeek

Root mucilage enhances plant water use under combined soil and atmospheric drought by Asegidew Akale et al. in @annbot.bsky.social

#freeaccess article
👉 doi.org/qjtr

@mohannedabdalla.bsky.social

#RootBiology #PlantStress #RootPhysiology #PlantScience

During early maize seedling establishment, root hairs are surprisingly dispensable: roothairless seedlings maintain shoot vigour, water status and nutrient levels under phosphorus and water limitation by compensating through thicker roots and enhanced phosphorus transporter expression.

The role of maize (Zea mays) radicle root hairs in seedling establishment under adverse phosphorus and water seedbed conditions by Ariel Tasca et al. in @annbot.bsky.social

#freeaccess article
👉 doi.org/qjtq

#RootBiology #RootPhysiology #PlantScience

Deep-rooted wheat genotypes consistently accessed more deep water and nitrogen and suffered less water stress, even in dry years—showing that deep rooting is a valuable, selectable trait that can be effectively phenotyped and integrated into breeding programmes.

🌱⚡🔬#RootStressWeek

Winter wheat phenotyping for deep root growth and function, reduced water stress and increased uptake of deep N and water by Arnesta Odone et al. in @annbot.bsky.social

#freeaccess article
👉 doi.org/qjtp

#RootBiology #RootPhysiology #PlantScience

Root strength isn’t determined by diameter alone. The stele and cortex each contribute differently to mechanical performance. By revealing their distinct behaviours and integrating them into a predictive model, this study offers a more accurate way to assess root tensile strength.

🌱⚡🔬#RootStressWeek

Role of stele and cortex in understanding and predicting root tensile properties by Yuzhe Yang et al. in @annbot.bsky.social

#freeaccess article
👉 doi.org/qjtm

#RootBiology #PlantStress #RootPhysiology #PlantScience

Water uptake in drying soils depends far more on soil texture and soil–root contact than on root hairs. By mapping where roots actually take up water and what limits that flow, this 3D model shows that rhizosphere and soil–root interactions (not just root traits) govern how maize responds to drought across different soil types.

🌱⚡🔬#RootStressWeek

On the importance of rhizosphere conductance and soil–root contact in drying soils by Axelle Koch et al. in @annbot.bsky.social

#freeaccess article
👉 doi.org/qjtk

#RootBiology #PlantStress #RootPhysiology #PlantScience

Drought reshapes maize root anatomy in ways that vary from node to node, meaning that looking at roots from only one node misses key adaptive changes. By shifting anatomical and hydraulic trajectories across successive nodes, maize shows that drought responses are coordinated at the whole-root-system level, not at individual roots.

🌱⚡🔬#RootStressWeek

Node of origin matters: comparative analysis of soil water limitation effects on nodal root anatomy in maize (Zea mays) by Tina Koehler et al. in @annbot.bsky.social

#freeaccess article
👉 doi.org/pp4c

#RootBiology #RootPhysiology #PlantScience

Drought doesn’t act on plants, soil, or microbes alone. It reshapes the entire plant–soil–microbiome system. Maize with fewer root hairs showed milder drought responses, while wild-type plants increased exudation and triggered stronger microbial shifts, highlighting how root–soil interface traits shape stress propagation and ecosystem responses under water limitation.

🌱⚡🔬#RootStressWeek

Drought response of the maize plant–soil–microbiome system is influenced by plant size and presence of root hairs by Roman Hartwig et al. in @annbot.bsky.social

#freeaccess article
👉 doi.org/qjpn

#RootBiology #PlantStress #RootPhysiology #PlantScience

Root “stop signals” that slow growth in hard soil were once an advantage, helping ancestral maize avoid dry topsoil and reach deeper water, but this benefit faded as agriculture introduced tillage and irrigation. The study shows that root plasticity is context-dependent, with traits once adaptive becoming less useful in modern, managed soils.

🌱⚡🔬#RootStressWeek

Did crop domestication change the fitness landscape of root response to soil mechanical impedance? An in silico analysis by Harini Rangarajan and Jonathan Lynch in @annbot

#freeaccess article
👉 doi.org/qjpm

#RootBiology #PlantStress #RootPhysiology #PlantScience

Plants that produce more root mucilage keep water flowing longer as soils dry. By smoothing the drop in water potential at the root–soil interface, mucilage helps maintain transpiration and delays hydraulic stress, revealing its key role in sustaining plant function under drought.

🌱⚡🔬#RootStressWeek

Mucilage facilitates root water uptake under edaphic stress: first evidence at the plant scale by Mohanned Abdalla et al. in @annbot.bsky.social

#freeaccess article
👉 doi.org/qjpk

#RootBiology #PlantStress #RootPhysiology #PlantScience

As phosphorus becomes scarce, maize reorganizes its root system in ways that limit water uptake. This P-driven shift reduces root conductance and growth, showing that how roots are structured (not just how big they are) determines a plant’s ability to access water under stress.

🌱⚡🔬#RootStressWeek

Root system architecture reorganization under decreasing soil phosphorus lowers root system conductance of Zea mays by Felix Maximilian Bauer et al. in @annbot.bsky.social

#freeaccess article
👉 doi.org/qjpb

#RootBiology #RootPhysiology #PlantScience

Regulation of maize root growth by local phosphorus availability, sucrose metabolism, and partitioning

🌱⚡🔬#RootStressWeek

Regulation of maize root growth by local phosphorus availability, sucrose metabolism, and partitioning by Yan Sun et al. in @annbot.bsky.social

#freeaccess article
👉 doi.org/qjft

#RootBiology #PlantStress #RootPhysiology #PlantScience

This global analysis reveals how root ecology has rapidly expanded, identifying the key ideas, methods and research themes now driving the field. By mapping where the science is and where it’s headed, the study shows how root ecology is shifting from theory toward real-world applications in agriculture, restoration and climate solutions.

🌱⚡🔬#RootStressWeek

Science mapping of root ecology: a bibliometric review covering 2015–2024 by Huiliang Zhai et al. in @annbot.bsky.social

#freeaccess article
👉 doi.org/qjfs

#RootBiology #PlantStress #RootPhysiology #PlantScience

Warm temperatures trigger a surge in auxin signalling that speeds up both cell division and elongation, allowing young roots to grow longer. This discovery shows that roots can sense and respond to heat on their own, revealing a key below-ground adaptation that many crops may share.

🌱⚡🔬#RootStressWeek

Hormonal regulation of root growth under moderately elevated temperatures by Tilman Jacob et al. in @annbot.bsky.social

#freeaccess article
👉 doi.org/ps8z

#RootBiology #PlantStress #RootPhysiology #PlantScience

This Special Issue reveals that root responses depend on where the root is, when it develops and the evolutionary history behind it. Recognizing this context-dependence moves us beyond simple models and toward more realistic predictions of plant resilience.

🌱⚡🔬#RootStressWeek

The hidden half in the spotlight: the diverse strategies of root systems under stress by Hannah Schneider & Doris Vetterlein in @annbot.bsky.social

#freeaccess article
👉 doi.org/qjfr

#RootBiology #PlantStress #RootPhysiology #PlantScience

Graphic for Annals of Botany featuring the text “Root Stress Week!” on a dark background, alongside a fluorescent microscopy image showing a cross-section of a plant root with brightly colored tissues highlighting root anatomy under stress.

🌱Welcome to our Root Stress Week! ⚡🔬

🌎During the next few days, @annbot.bsky.social will be highlighting articles from the Special Issue "Stress Physiology of Root Systems"

💡Stay tuned!

#RootBiology #PlantStress #RootPhysiology #PlantScience

Demonstration of LI-COR LI6800 to measure root respiration

Thank you @li-corenv.bsky.social for great demonstration of the #LI6800 for #ROOTS respiration at #konzaprairie #GoBelowground #rootphysiology #ecophys