Adaptation to phosphorus (P) scarcity relies on changes in root morphology towards rooting systems well suited for topsoil foraging. Parra-Londono et al. analysed traits describing root-system architecture in a sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) diversity panel grown under low and high P availability, and identified genotypes with a small, a compact and an exploratory root system.
The latter may benefit plant growth if water, nitrogen (N) or P availability is limited. Genotypes were fingerprinted with a 90k SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism) array. Genome wide association studies reveal promising marker-trait associations, with the potential to develop stable markers for marker-assisted selection on two chromosomes.
