Effects of various soil moisture contents on morphological characteristics and spatial distribution of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) roots.

In recent decades, Korea is experiencing severe drought during spring and summer as Korea is under climate change effects. Crops cope with water stress by anatomical, morphological or physiological response. Root growth and development is important for characterization of crop adaptation to water stress. Many studies have been researched root characterizations of crops/plants under water stress; root dimensions, such as root length, surface area or volumes, root elongation rate, and root spatial structure. Sesame is the second most cultivated oilseed crop in Korea. Sesame is known to be drought tolerant, but a deep understanding of a relation between soil water and sesame has not been done. Previous studies showed that sesame is very susceptible to environmental stress and water stress is one of constraints for sesame growth/production and seed components. This study hypothesized different soil moisture contents would induce changes of morphological properties and spatial distributions in sesame roots. The objectives of this study were characterizations of morphological and spatial distributions of sesame roots from various soil moisture contents.