White lupin （Lupinus albus） exhibits strong root morphological and physiological responses to phosphorus （P） deficiency and auxin treatments, but the interactive effects of P and auxin in regulating root morphological and physiological traits are not fully understood. This study aimed to assess white lupin root traits as influenced by P （0 or 250 ~tmol L-1） and auxin （10=8 mol L-1 NAA） in nutrient solution. Both P deficiency and auxin treatments significantly altered root morphological traits, as evi- denced by reduced taproot length, increased number and density of first-order lateral roots, and enhanced cluster-root for- marion. Changes in root physiological traits were also observed, i.e., increased proton, citrate, and acid phosphatase exudation. Exogenous auxin enhanced root responses and sensitivity to P deficiency. A significant interplay exists between P and auxin in the regulation of root morphological and physiological traits. Principal component analysis showed that P availability ex- plained 64.8% and auxin addition 21.3% of the total variation in root trait parameters, indicating that P availability is much more important than auxin in modifying root responses of white lupin. This suggests that white lupin can coordinate root mor- phological and physiological responses to enhance acquisition of P resources, with an optimal trade-off between root morpho- logical and physiological traits regulated by external stimuli such as P availability and auxin.
