Beck’s research digs into understanding corn root architecture

EL PASO, Ill. — Corn products are typically recommended to farmers based on soil type, placement flexibility, standability, resistance, perfomance in various tillage scenarios and other factors, but a new effort now looks at root characteristics to tie it all together.

Beck’s Root Reveal Research will provide farmers with more knowledge of hybrid selection, product placement and crop management by uncovering how each hybrid’s root architecture and root volume impacts performance.

“Every industry has a common set of prevailing assumptions. In the seed industry, it’s how corn products are described and recommended,” said Jim Schwartz, Beck’s director of research, agronomy and Practical Farm Research.

“We’re digging deeper to provide farmers with more knowledge about the products they’re planting. Our hope is that this research will help us identify correlations leading to causation in relation to root architecture and size and how it impacts variables like nitrogen utilization, population and stress response.”

Schwartz detailed the program during the Central Illinois Becknology Day in El Paso.

“An individual hybrid’s yield potential could be different than previously known simply based on root architecture and root size.”

—  Jim Schwartz, director of research, agronomy and Practical Farm Research, Beck’s

Multilocation research conducted over five years by Scott Foxhoven at the University of Illinois indicated that root size appears to have an impact on performance relative to population and fertility placement.

As populations are increased and root size declines, smaller root systems get even smaller.

“Foxhoven’s data suggests that smaller-rooted hybrids respond positively to banding fertility, but not to increased populations. This makes sense when considering the limited distance of movement of many of the nutrients in the soil. Smaller root systems likely respond to fertility placed in closer proximity to the roots,” Schwartz said.

“Rooting could explain a significant amount of variability in hybrid performance that we had previously not thought about. An individual hybrid’s yield potential could be different than previously known simply based on root architecture and root size.”

Root Cage

Examining roots have been limited to using a shovel, but Beck’s learned of another technique that would provide specific details of root architecture.

“We met Dr. Chris Topp at the Danforth Center in St. Louis who showed us a technique to examine and grow roots in a different method using chemical totes. We emptied and cleaned the totes and then we shrink wrapped them and put OSB sheaths around the shrink wrap and strap it in,” Schwartz said.

The totes are strung with fishing line and filled with Turface Athletics, similar to Diamond Dry, a natural, biodegradable product made from corn cobs commonly used for absorbing water on athletic fields.

“We put fertility and water all around it and plant one seed. Somewhere around R1 or R2 we turn of the water because roots stop growing at that point and the plant has been programmed in to put nutrients into the ear,” Schwartz said.

“We let it dry out, pull out the OSB sheaths, cut the shrink wrap and the Diamond Dry all comes out and what we’re left with is the root architecture.

“Is this the real world? Of course not, but it gives us a really clear picture, much better than digging roots, on a couple things.

“No. 1, it gives us a much clearer picture of the root architecture. You can still see that when you dig roots, but this is much clearer.

“No. 2, it gives us a real good idea and understanding of the morphology of the roots — big roots versus hair roots — and we continue to learn about that, as well, and how that might impact decisions you make.”

Partner Trials

Beck’s partnered with U of I in research that focuses on how planting populations and root architecture interact.

“Research at the U of I in 2014 found that for every 1,000 plants we increase planting population, root size of an individual plant decreases 2.5%. On average, our planting populations over the last 20 years have gone up about 400 plants per year,” Schwartz said.

“We have been decreasing individual plant root mass about 20% over the last 20 years. Does that have an impact on fertility management? Maybe, that’s what we’re trying to understand. We did the research 10 years later and had the same findings.

“Also, as planting populations increase, the above-ground biomass increases, but the below-ground root mass decreases.

“We believe this has an impact on how you manage fertility, and we believe architecture might help us unlock some of those mysteries.”

Beck’s will continue to evaluate its entire corn lineup through its corn root box protocol.

“This year at the University of Illinois, we’re taking both the population study and the nitrogen management study and put them together for one big study. We’re replicating it in clay soil to the south, prairie soil in Champaign and more of a silt loam north,” Schwartz said.

“Secondly, we’re doing additional studies at Beck’s Practical Farm Research around banding versus broadcast and root architecture.

“Additionally, to validate that study, we reached out to Purdue University. They just got access to a SoilWarrior banding tool. So, we’re duplicating that study with Purdue to understand if root architecture responds differently to banding versus broadcast fertility. We believe it will.”

No Right Or Wrong

Schwartz noted there is no right or wrong root architecture.

“You may say you don’t want horizontal roots, but if you’re a long-term no-tiller and you have nutrient stratification in the top eight inches, a horizontal architecture might be beneficial,” he said.

“If you farm on really poorly drained soils, you probably want more roots than that top eight inches of soil where you can access oxygen better with a horizontal root architecture might be better.

“What we’re trying to get to is how do you take the hybrid that you are planting and maximum the performance on your farm via nitrogen placement timing, population and understanding stress tolerance.

“You’re not going to change the way you farm, but maybe we can match them up a little bit better.”

Long-Term Goal

The root studies continue in the greenhouses at Beck’s headquarters in Atlanta in central Indiana.

“We’ve characterized 46 of the top 50 in a root cage and then all of our new hybrids moving forward will be characterized in a root box,” Schwartz said.

“Our goal long-term, is to start taking our Product Characterization Research, marry it up with our product characterization and our Root Reveal Research.

“Let’s say that you side-dress your nitrogen and plant this population, if I know enough about these hybrids and say this might be a better fit for you, I believe I can de-risk some of that performance variability on your farm and increase the performance of the hybrid itself. That’s our goal for why we’re doing PCR and Root Reveal Research.”