Posted: June 17, 2017

Ph.D. student Hannah Schneider received one of three Root Phenotyping Working Group Travel Awards to the IPG Root Biology Meeting 2017

The IPPN Root Phenotyping Working Group made an open call for early career scientists to apply for a 500 EUR Travel Award to attend the IPG Root Biology Meeting, Missouri.

Three excellent recipients were awarded, each presenting a poster in Missouri.

Dr. Shirley Nichols from New Zealand at AgResearch, website

IPG travel award Shirley Nichols

Statement of research presented: My poster presented results from a number of studies demonstrating changes to the roots of white clover (Trifolium repens) through interspecific hybridisation with the wild relative Trifolium uniflorum, aimed at improving drought resistance and tolerance of low soil P. These changes include evidence for deeper rooting, thicker nodal roots, increased root mass under drought stress, better anchorage of nodal roots than for white clover under drought stress, differences in root branching patterns, and root:shoot ratios that are more responsive to changes in soil P.

Dr. Mina Rostamza from the University of Purdue, USA, website

IPG travel award Mina Rostamza

Statement of research: "I have been working on how soybeans alter patterns of root placement in response to nutrient heterogeneity or neighbours. I am mostly interested in genotypes that preferentially proliferate more roots inside the patch while reduce root growth outside of the patch. Using a minirhizotron system, root growth was monitored non-destructively inside and outside of the patch".

Ms. Hannah Schneider, Penn State University (with Forschungzentrum Jülich), website

Hannah Schneider headshot

Statement of research: Root cortical senescence may have adaptive significance for soil resource acquisition by reducing root carbon and nutrient costs and therefore permitting greater root growth, soil resource acquisition, and resource allocation to other plant processes. The development of root cortical senescence reduced root respiration and nutrient content, decreased radial water and nutrient transport, and is accompanied by increased suberization to protect the stele.

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