PEG-Induced Osmotic Stress Alters Root Morphology and Root Hair Traits in Wheat Genotypes

Wheat crop in drought-prone regions of Bangladesh suffers from osmotic stress. The objective of this study was to investigate the response of wheat genotypes with respect to root morphology and root hair traits under polyethylene glycol (PEG)-induced osmotic stress. A total of 22 genotypes of wheat were grown hydroponically and two treatments—0% and 10% PEG—were imposed at 14 days after germination. Plant growth was reduced in terms of plant height, number of live leaves per tiller, shoot dry weight, number of root-bearing phytomers, and roots per tiller. Notably, PEG-induced osmotic stress increased root dry weight per tiller by increasing length of the main axis and lateral roots, as well as the diameter and density of both lateral roots and root hairs of the individual roots. A biplot was drawn after a principal component analysis, taking three less-affected (high-yielding genotypes) and three highly affected (low-yielding genotypes and landrace) genotypes under 10% PEG stress, compared to control. Principal component 1 separated PEG-treated wheat genotypes from control-treated genotypes, with a high and positive coefficient for the density of lateral roots and root hairs, length and diameter of the main axis, and first-order lateral roots and leaf injury scores, indicating that these traits are associated with osmotic stress tolerance. Principal component 2 separated high-yielding and tolerant wheat genotypes from low-yielding and susceptible genotypes, with a high coefficient for root dry weight, density of root hairs and second-order lateral roots, length of the main axis, and first-order lateral roots. An increase in root dry weight in PEG-stress-tolerant wheat genotypes was achieved through an increase in length and diameter of the main axis and lateral roots. The information derived from this research could be exploited for identifying osmotic stress-tolerant QTL and for developing abiotic-tolerant cultivars of wheat.