ALBERT

Description:    Molecular techniques present a new opportunity to study roots and their interactions in soil. Extraction and quantification of species-specific DNA directly from soil allows direct identification of roots in mixed swards reducing the need for labour-intensive methods to recover and identify individual roots. DNA was extracted directly from up to 0.5 kg of soil and the presence of individual species quantified using species-specific probes with quantitative real-time PCR. A range of plant and soil factors influenced the DNA content measured in roots and it was necessary to account for these influences when converting DNA amount to root mass. The utility of the method for quantitative root studies was demonstrated in an experiment to investigate the effect of lime on root growth of acid-soil resistant and sensitive perennial grasses grown together in an aluminium-toxic soil. The root mass of an acid-soil resistant species was unaffected by lime application, whereas that of an acid-soil sensitive species was restricted by soil acidity. Molecular techniques present a promising tool for quantification of root mass directly in soil and have applications for field studies involving mixed species of plants. Content Type Journal Article Pages 1-15 DOI 10.1007/s11104-011-0846-3 Authors Rebecca E. Haling, CSIRO Sustainable Agriculture National Research Flagship/CSIRO Plant Industry, GPO Box 1600, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia Richard J. Simpson, CSIRO Sustainable Agriculture National Research Flagship/CSIRO Plant Industry, GPO Box 1600, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia Alan C. McKay, Plant and Soil Health, South Australian Research and Development Institute, Plant Research Centre, 2b Hartley Grove, Urrbrae, SA 5064, Australia Diana Hartley, CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences, GPO Box 1700, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia Hans Lambers, School of Plant Biology and Institute of Agriculture, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia Kathy Ophel-Keller, Plant and Soil Health, South Australian Research and Development Institute, Plant Research Centre, 2b Hartley Grove, Urrbrae, SA 5064, Australia Sue Wiebkin, Plant and Soil Health, South Australian Research and Development Institute, Plant Research Centre, 2b Hartley Grove, Urrbrae, SA 5064, Australia Herdina, Plant and Soil Health, South Australian Research and Development Institute, Plant Research Centre, 2b Hartley Grove, Urrbrae, SA 5064, Australia Ian T. Riley, Plant and Soil Health, South Australian Research and Development Institute, Plant Research Centre, 2b Hartley Grove, Urrbrae, SA 5064, Australia Alan E. Richardson, CSIRO Sustainable Agriculture National Research Flagship/CSIRO Plant Industry, GPO Box 1600, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia Journal Plant and Soil Online ISSN 1573-5036 Print ISSN 0032-079X