%0 Journal Article
%T Root plasticity improves maize nitrogen use when nitrogen is limiting - an analysis using 3D plant modelling.
%A Lu J
%A Lankhost JA
%A Stomph TJ
%A Schneider HM
%A Chen Y
%A Mi G
%A Yuan L
%A Evers JB
%J J Exp Bot
%V 0
%N 0
%D 2024 Jul 6
%M 38970454
%F 7.298
%R 10.1093/jxb/erae298
%X Plant phenotypic plasticity plays an important role in nitrogen (N) acquisition and use under nitrogen-limited conditions. However, this role has never been quantified as a function of N availability, leaving it unclear whether plastic responses should be considered as potential targets for selection. A combined modelling and experimentation approach was adopted to quantify the role of plasticity on N uptake and plant yield. Based on a greenhouse experiment we considered plasticity in two maize traits: root-to-leaf biomass allocation ratio and emergence rate of axial roots. In a simulation experiment we individually enabled or disabled both plastic responses for maize stands grown across six N levels. Both plastic responses contributed to maintaining a higher N uptake and plant productivity as N-availability declined, compared to stands in which plastic responses were disabled. We conclude that plastic responses quantified in this study may be a potential target trait in breeding programs for greater N uptake across N levels while it may only be important for the internal use of N under N-limited conditions in maize. Given the complexity of breeding for plastic responses, an a priori model analysis is useful to identify which plastic traits to target for enhanced plant performance.