SimRoot Simulation Results - Root Hairs and Nitrogen

<p><strong><em>SimRoot</em>&nbsp;modeling data</strong></p> <p>In order to investigate the relationships between changes in root hair phenotypes and N capture under different N and transpiration regimes, a&nbsp;maize root system with the primary root and lateral branches&nbsp;varying in root hair length and density were simulated in the functional-structural plant model&nbsp;<em>SimRoot</em>.&nbsp;<em>SimRoot</em>&nbsp;offers a realistic platform to simulate the effect of the whole root system and/or a specific root traits on plant growth and resource acquisition because it is equipped with both carbon and nutrient models&nbsp;(Lynch&nbsp;<em>et al.</em>&nbsp;1997; Dathe&nbsp;<em>et al.</em>&nbsp;2016).&nbsp;Root&nbsp;hair length was modified by varying root hair growth rate.&nbsp;We used a 1*1*1 mm cubic finite element grid for the simulations.&nbsp;Simulations were run for 15 days.&nbsp;Transpiration rate was modified to manipulate the mass flow component.&nbsp;Four levels of nitrate were used in the simulations corresponding to 20.8, 62.4, 104 and 145.6 kg ha^-1.&nbsp;&nbsp;All root parameters except for the parameters of interest (root hair length, root hair density) were kept constant.&nbsp;</p> <p>This research was supported by grants from the Howard G.&nbsp;Buffett Foundation and the National Science Foundation-PGRP grant DBI 0820624 to JPL&nbsp;and Mahidol University to PS&rsquo;s time for developing the manuscript.&nbsp;</p>