Clemson University Researchers Uncover Roots of Climate-Resilient Cotton

Aug 22, 2024

A new study is shedding light on how to make cotton more climate-resilient through improved water use efficiency (WUE). WUE, a critical trait for crop resilience in the face of climate change, measures the amount of biomass or economic yield produced per unit of water used, often summarized as "crop per drop."

A research team at Clemson University led by Sruthi Narayanan has discovered that certain root traits in Upland cotton can significantly enhance WUE. The team found root weight, length, surface area, and volume of very fine roots (less than 0.25 mm in diameter) are key to improving WUE. The study tested genotypes from major cotton-growing regions in Western, Southwestern, Midsouth and Eastern United States. Cotton varieties Deltapine 14, Station Miller and Southland M1 performed best in the study.

"Cotton genotypes that can maintain water-use-efficiency even when root growth is limited by soil hardpans can be good selections for the southeastern United States," said Om Prakash Ghimire, doctoral student and lead author for a paper about the project.

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Video: Root Exudates, Soil Biology, and How Plants Recruit Microbes | Field Talk Friday

Field Talk Friday | Dr. John Murphy | Root Exudates, Soil Biology, and How Plants Recruit Microbes

Most of us spend our time managing what we can see above ground—plant height, leaf color, stand counts, and yield potential. But the deeper you dig into agronomy, the more you realize that some of the most important processes driving crop performance are happening just millimeters below the surface.

In this episode of Field Talk Friday, Dr. John Murphy continues the soil biology series by diving into one of the most fascinating topics in modern agronomy: root exudates and the role they play in shaping the microbial world around plant roots.

Roots are not passive structures simply pulling nutrients out of the soil. They are active participants in the underground ecosystem. Plants constantly release compounds into the soil—sugars, amino acids, organic acids, and other molecules—that act as both energy sources and signals for soil microbes.