Plants and their vegetative organs: The Root

almost 2 years ago (Edited)

Dear readers, from Agrotechnology we will begin a short and basic thematic series on the vegetative organs of plants, with this, we want to show certain characteristics and functions that have these organs for the growth and development of plants. In this first installment we will talk about the root, which is an organ known by all and which has a fundamental function in the absorption of nutrients from the soil. Without further ado, let's start with the description of this important organ.

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The root is a plant organ of plants as mentioned above, develops from the embryo of the seeds, some researchers in the area of botany mention that in the embryo is a meristem known as radicle or embryonic root that emerges from the seed to give way to secondary roots that improve the absorption of nutrients, the radicle disappears in a few weeks when it begins to develop the root system.

On the other hand, it is necessary to mention that the root system fulfills different functions in the plant as a support, since it fixes it to the soil, it is also a means for the absorption of water and nutritive elements found in the soil and, as if that were not enough, in some species such as grasses it has the capacity to accumulate carbohydrate reserves that allow a vigorous regrowth after being cut by animals.

The root has the capacity to emit secondary roots below the soil and in these secondary roots other smaller ones are formed, that is to say, a kind of branching is generated, which undoubtedly helps in the absorption of water and nutrients.

In this sense, the following is a classification of roots according to Fuentes (1998).

Superficial: as its name indicates, these are roots that do not go very deep into the soil. When they branch out, they form a kind of hair-like structure that is technically known as fasciculated roots.

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Pivoting: this type of root reaches a greater depth in the soil, it is a main root that also has secondary roots, but does not reach the same length.

Adventitious:these are roots that can be observed in species belonging to the poaceae family such as corn, they are born in the first internodes of the stalks, they can be easily seen above the soil, as a kind of secondary anchorage.

_{AGROTECNIA design by @amestyj with own images.}

According to the above mentioned, these types of roots have their benefits, in the case of the superficial roots these develop in the first horizons of the soil, where generally the greatest amount of organic matter is accumulated, the disadvantage would be focused on its anchorage since, for example, in pastures if they do not develop well the animal at the time of taking the grass with its tongue and pull it can extract the plant with all and root. In the case of pivoting roots, these provide a good anchorage to the plant and the depth they reach in the soil allows them to take the water or nutrients that are in the deeper layers of the soil, generally plants with this type of crop are adapted to areas with low humidity.

It is also important to mention that for the roots to have an excellent development, certain conditions must be generated, such as good soil aeration; therefore, in compacted soils, a root system formed by rootlets is not generated and if there were to be flooding, anoxia could occur due to lack of oxygen, According to Moreno, Pineda, Colinas and Castellano (2020), soil aeration guarantees oxygenation at the root level, which influences metabolic processes such as protein renewal, nutrient absorption, symbiotic nitrogen fixation and other important functions.

_{AGROTECNIA design by @amestyj with own images.}

In the same way, the presence of water and fertilization influences, the roots will always be in search of water and nutrients, therefore, if the water and nutrients are in deep layers, the roots will also deepen, that is why the application of fertilizers and water could influence according to the root development, in seedlings fertilizers can be applied near the surfaces and as their development increases, place them at greater depth.

Final considerations

Dear readers, knowing the functions of the plant's organs is fundamental, from there, as we always mention, will depend on the management that is carried out, the roots in terms of water and nutrient transport is fundamental, that is why guaranteeing the aeration, humidity and fertility of the soil improves the root development and therefore the metabolism of the plants. Therefore, with a healthy soil we will have a healthy and well-developed plant. Finally, we will mention that there are some species of plants that are used for their roots, such as carrots, beets, among others.

Bibliographic references

Moreno, M. ; Pineda, J. ; Colinas, M. and Castellanos, J. (2020).Oxygen in the root zone and its effect on plants. Revista Mexicana de Ciencias Agrícolas volume 11 number 4.
Fuentes, J. (1998). Agricultural Botany. 5 ed. Editorial Mundi Prensa. Madrid. Spain.

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