Osmotic stress induced root growth and regulation of root development related genes in progenitors of wheat

Maintenance of root growth during water deficit can significantly contribute to yield stability. In this study, total nine accessions, three each of Triticum monococcum, Aegilops speltoides and Aegilops tauschii were analysed for root traits under two levels of osmotic stress at seedling stage. T. monococcum accession (A2) showed highest increase in total root growth while 17% and 34% increase in primary root length was recorded in T. monococcum (A2) and Ae. speltoides (B3) under osmotic stress. Expression of BREVIS RADIX (BRX) and NAM/ATAF/CUC 1(NAC1) was analysed in three diploid accessions with contrasting root phenotype. BREVIS RADIX, a transcription factor modulating root length was up regulated in T. monococcum A2 accession while NAC1 expression was up regulated in three of the accessions under osmotic stress. The accessions and genes analysed in the study can be good resource to explore the molecular-genetic mechanism of root growth under stress.