Développement et polymorphisme racinaires chez de jeunes semis d'hévéa (Hevea brasiliensis)

The major problems (bad anchorage, water stress, and root disease) with the cropping of the rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis) are related to the architecture of its root system. So, the morphogenetic properties of the various roots that emerge during the development of the young seedlings are described to improve our understanding of the dynamics of root system architecture. In this study, the development of the root system of 12 seedlings grown for 40 days in root observation boxes has been recorded on a daily basis and analysed. Additional observations were also made on plants grown in pots or in the field for a 60-day period. This analysis of the sequential differentiation of the root system allowed us to distinguish five different root types according to their spatial and temporal location at emergence: (i) taproot, (ii) early first-order lateral roots, (iii) acropetal first-order lateral roots, (iv) late first-order lateral roots, (v) second-order lateral roots. Large variations and close relationship...