Genotypic variation in rice varieties screened for deep rooting under field conditions in West Africa

Abstract

In this study, to identify deep rooting accessions, we assessed the differences in root depth based on the length of the longest primary root among 586 different rice accessions: 511 Oryza sativa and 75 O. glaberrima. Malagkit Pirurutong and Binicol were identified as the two rice accessions with deepest roots through four field experiments conducted at two different locations in West Africa. For these two accessions, root depths reached 35.6 and 41.4 cm, respectively, in the first experiment at Bamako; on the other hand, their depths only reached 22.6 and 18.6 cm, respectively, in the second and third experiments at Ibadan, leading to inconsistent genotypic ranking based on root depth between the two locations. However, Malagkit Pirurutong was identified as deep rooting in both locations; in addition, it showed deep rooting in the fourth experiment in a 20-mm irrigation treatment, even when compared with the deep rooting reference Azucena. Nonetheless, this pattern was not found under a 10-mm irrigation treatment. Malagkit Pirurutong kept developing deep roots even following 60 days after sowing (DAS), whereas other shallower rooting accessions ceased deepening by 60 DAS. The longer period for deepening roots would be beneficial for terminal drought stress.