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Evolution of wheat roots hydraulic properties | Nimrod Schwartz's Lab

Evolution of wheat roots hydraulic properties

In this project, we aim to understand what causes the changes in wheat root system architecture and properties during domestication, and how these changes influence the ability of plants to thrive under different environmental conditions. In my group, we measured the hydraulic properties of the different root systems and showed that despite the increase in the number of the seminal roots during domestication (from 3 to 5), the hydraulic conductivity of the domesticated root system decrease compared to the wild wheat. We are also working on a detailed numerical model that takes into account root architecture and properties and compare the effect of domesticated and wild root systems on water content distribution in the soil. The model is expected to shed new light on the influence of domestication on wheat evolution.