EASY AND EFFICIENT SPLIT-ROOT METHOD TO STUDY MORPHOLOGY AND ANATOMY OF RICE (Oryza sativa L.)

Abstract

ABSTRACT:

Objective: This study was intended to investigate the efficacy of PVC pipe method for split-root experiment in rice (Oryza sativa L.) using soil medium at all the growth stages of rice.

Methods: Rice seeds were sown in small PVC pipes and allowed to grow for one month, which were then transferred to split-root setup by equally splitting the roots of these seedlings into two halves and were allowed to grow for different time periods of their growth stages to analyze their health and stability.

Results: We report an easy split-root study for rice grown in soil. Unlike the field grown plants, the efficient PVC tube method enables simple and systematic growth and harvesting for proper analysis of the plant samples without damaging the tissue. In our experiments, although the rice plants were transferred to the split-root setup by splitting their roots, they were healthy and stable after 7days, 15 days, 70 days and even at 120 days (maturity) of growth in split-root condition.

Conclusion: Morphology and anatomy of plants can be easily and efficiently studied at any growth stage using PVC tube method as opposed to field method where sample harvesting requires inconvenient process of uprooting the plant while losing and damaging the tissue.