| To identify the root characteristics of late-maturity semi-winterness wheat varieties and their relationship with yield formation, nine semi-winterness wheat varieties with different maturity were selected as experimental materials. Through the simultaneous implementation of outdoor pot and field experiments, the root morphology, quantitative and physiological characteristics of different maturity wheat varieties were comprehensively studied. The results showed that the root length, root surface area, root volume and root dry weight of late-maturity varieties were significantly higher than those of early-and medium-maturity varieties from re-greening to late maturity stage. At anthesis stage, the root length, root surface area, root volume, and root dry weight of late-maturity varieties were 43.02%, 39.26%, 48.93 and 31.01% higher than those of early-maturity varieties, and 26.13%, 24.63%, 33.72 and 20.84 higher than those of medium varieties, respectively. The root length density, root surface area density, root volume ratio, and root dry weight density of late-maturity varieties were significantly higher than those of early-and medium-maturity varieties in the 0-100 cm soil layer at anthesis. The number of nodal roots per plant of late-maturity varieties was 48.27 at anthesis, which was 6.92 and 5.07 higher than that of early- and medium-maturity varieties, respectively. The root vigor of late-maturity varieties was significantly higher than that of early- and medium-maturity varieties from wintering to late maturity stage, 36.39% and 15.02% higher than that of early- and medium-maturity varieties at jointing stage, respectively. From anthesis to late maturity stage, antioxidant enzyme activity in roots of late-maturity varieties was significantly higher than that of early- and medium-maturity varieties, while malondialdehyde(MDA) content in roots was significantly lower than that of early- and medium-maturity varieties, and the root length decay rate was significantly lower than that of early- and medium-maturity varieties, with the reduction rate of 16.19% and 10.88%, respectively. In summary, compared with early- and medium-maturity varieties, late-maturity varieties have better root traits, which are reflected in root length, root surface area, root volume, root dry weight, nodal root number, root vigor, and anti-aging ability. |