Fig. 7.

Non-structural carbohydrate (NSC) concentrations of whole-root systems versus segments of white roots for plants pre-treated with light-shade at stem all dead (SAD) and after SAD. Seedlings harvested at SAD (n=13) from both darkness temperature treatments were separated by the status of their coarser roots. White roots were assumed to be living, while black roots were dead and often partially decayed. Three seedlings with ‘roots all white’ had ~1 cm of live stem left. Three seedlings had >1/2 of coarse roots still white, and six seedlings had >1/2 black. One seedling had a completely black root system. Post-SAD white-root segments were collected from seedlings harvested 3–15 d after SAD occurred (n=10). White-root segment NSC did not significantly differ between SAD and post-SAD (P=0.72) or between root systems >1/2 white and >1/2 black at SAD (P=0.66). Error bars represent SE.