Measuring the Hydraulic Conductivity of Grass Root Systems

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Atara Gal ◽  
Elisha Hendel ◽  
Zvi Peleg ◽  
Nimrod Schwartz ◽  
Nir Sade
Keyword(s):  
Hydraulic Conductivity ◽  
Root Systems ◽  
Grass Root

The influence of grass root systems on growth and form of Trifolium repens

1990 ◽  
Vol 68 (5) ◽  
pp. 1034-1038 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roy Turkington
Keyword(s):  
Lolium Perenne ◽  
Trifolium Repens ◽  
Treatment Effects ◽  
Dactylis Glomerata ◽  
Ground Level ◽  
Root Systems ◽  
Holcus Lanatus ◽  
Grass Root ◽  
Below Ground ◽  
Whole Plants

Pure swards of the grasses Dactylis glomerata, Holcus lanatus, and Lolium perenne were allowed to grow in boxes in a standard growth medium; one additional set of boxes with no grasses was used as a control. After 43 weeks, all aboveground parts of the grasses were removed by harvesting at 2 cm below ground level. Next, clones of Trifolium repens collected from patches in a pasture dominated by these three grasses were introduced into each of the grass boxes, in all combinations of grass treatment and T. repens origin, and allowed to grow for 16 weeks. Both the site of origin of the T. repens clones and the treatment imposed by the grasses had significant influences on the growth and form of T. repens. Treatment effects were consistent for most characters, and on average, depression of growth was in the following order: Dactylis > Lolium > Holcus > control. This ranking differs from that reported by many other studies where either whole plants or shoot systems alone were used as the treatment effects on T. repens. Key words: interference, growth, morphogenesis, roots, Trifolium repens.

scholarly journals Impact of treated wastewater on growth, respiration and hydraulic conductivity of citrus root systems in light and heavy soils

2016 ◽  
Vol 36 (6) ◽  
pp. 770-785 ◽  
Author(s):  
Indira Paudel ◽  
Shabtai Cohen ◽  
Avi Shaviv ◽  
Asher Bar-Tal ◽  
Nirit Bernstein ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hydraulic Conductivity ◽  
Root Systems ◽  
Treated Wastewater ◽  
Growth Respiration ◽  
Citrus Root

scholarly journals Model predicts the impact of root system architecture on soil water infiltration.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Mair ◽  
Lionel Xavier Dupuy ◽  
Mariya Ptashnyk
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Hydraulic Conductivity ◽  
Root System ◽  
Moisture Transport ◽  
Water Pressure ◽  
Root Systems ◽  
Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity ◽  
Water Infiltration ◽  
Richards Equation ◽  
The Impact

There is strong experimental evidence that root systems substantially change the saturated hydraulic conductivity of soil. However, the mechanisms by which roots affect soil hydraulic properties remain largely unknown. In this work, we made the hypothesis that preferential soil moisture transport occurs along the axes of roots, and that this is what changes a soil's saturated hydraulic conductivity. We modified Richards' equation to incorporate the preferential flow of soil moisture along the axes of roots. Using the finite element method and Bayesian optimisation, we developed a pipeline to calibrate our model with respect to a given root system. When applied to simulated root systems, the pipeline successfully predicted the pore-water pressure profiles corresponding to saturated hydraulic conductivity values, observed by Leung et al. (2018), for soils vegetated by willow and grass. Prediction accuracy improved for root systems with more realistic architectures, therefore suggesting that changes in saturated hydraulic conductivity are a result of roots enabling preferential soil moisture transport along their axes. The model proposed in this work improves our ability to predict moisture transport through vegetated soil and could help optimise irrigation, forecast flood events and plan landslide prevention strategies.

Differences between root traits of early- and late-successional trees influence below-ground competition and seedling establishment

2016 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 300-313 ◽  
Author(s):  
Waldemar Zangaro ◽  
Luis Eduardo Azevedo Marques Lescano ◽  
Enio Massao Matsuura ◽  
Artur Berbel Lirio Rondina ◽  
Marco Antonio Nogueira
Keyword(s):  
Root System ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Seedling Establishment ◽  
Fine Root ◽  
Woody Species ◽  
Root Traits ◽  
Root Systems ◽  
Root Diameter ◽  
Grass Root ◽  
Below Ground

Abstract:The competitive influence of the root system of the exotic grass Urochloa brizantha and the widespread forb Leonotis nepetifolia on the emergence, survival and early growth of the seedlings of eight tropical heliophilous herbaceous species, six early-successional woody species and five late-successional woody species from Brazil, grown in 3500-cm3 pots and in greenhouse without light restriction were assessed. The density of fine-root systems produced by the forb and the grass in pots were 6.8 cm cm−3 soil and 48.1 cm cm−3 soil, respectively. Seedlings survival of the heliophilous herbaceous, early- and late-successional woody species were 86%, 70% and 100% in presence of the forb root system and 12%, 14% and 100% in competition with grass root system, respectively. The competitive pressure applied by the grass root system on seedling growth of the heliophilous herbaceous, early- and late-successional woody species were 2.4, 1.9 and 1.4 times greater than the forb root system. Total root length of the heliophilous herbaceous, early- and late-successional woody species grown without competitors were 13, 33 and 5 times greater than in competition with forb, and were 66, 54 and 6 times greater than in competition with grass root system, respectively. The averages of fine-root diameter of plants grown without competitors were 209 μm for the heliophilous herbaceous, 281 μm for early-successional trees and 382 μm for late-successional trees. The root system of the forb did not avoid seedling establishment of most plant species, but the grass root system hampered more the establishment of heliophilous herbaceous and early-successional woody species than the seedling establishment of late-successional woody species. The different density of root systems produced in soil by the forb and the grass, and the distinct root traits (e.g. root diameter and root tissue density) of the early- and late-successional plant species can explain the differences in the establishment of seedlings of plant species belonging to different groups of tropical succession when exposed to below-ground competition.

The role of soil resistance in determining water uptake by plant root systems

Soil Research ◽  
1983 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 571 ◽  
Author(s):  
NR Hulugalle ◽  
ST Willatt
Keyword(s):  
Water Stress ◽  
Hydraulic Conductivity ◽  
Water Uptake ◽  
Plant Root ◽  
Soil Water Potential ◽  
Root Systems ◽  
Plant Roots ◽  
Soil Resistance ◽  
Plant Root Systems

Resistance to water flow in plant roots has been suggested as a significant factor limiting water uptake by plants. The results of previous experiments have been used to show that soil resistance may be more significant than has recently been suggested, particularly in soils of low hydraulic conductivity and where root density is low. As the technique used to determine soil resistance relies on hydraulic conductivity, the latter may be more appropriate as an indicator of water stress than soil water potential.

scholarly journals Effect of ion exchange substrate on grass root development and cohesion of sandy soil

2016 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 293-300
Author(s):  
Mariola Chomczyńska ◽  
Vladimir Soldatov ◽  
Henryk Wasąg ◽  
Marcin Turski
Keyword(s):  
Ion Exchange ◽  
Root Development ◽  
Dactylis Glomerata ◽  
Root Systems ◽  
Penetration Resistance ◽  
Sand Mixture ◽  
Grass Root ◽  
In Series ◽  
Substrate Mixtures ◽  
Intensive Development

Abstract The effect of small additions of ion exchange substrate (nutrient carrier) on root development and accompanying ground cohesion (characterized by its penetration resistance) was studied. During two pot experiments Dactylis glomerata L. was grown on sand and its mixture with 1 and 2% (v/v) of ion exchange substrate, respectively. The number and total length of roots were measured during the first test. Penetration resistance was measured with a pentrologger, following the second experiment. After six weeks of growth, number and length of roots in sand mixture with 1 and 2% substrate was greater than in sand-only medium by 211-287 and 273-323%, respectively. At the same time, penetration resistance in series with substrate additions was significantly higher than in control medium at depth of 2.5-7(8) cm, whereas after 12 week of growth, penetration resistance in series with 1 and 2% substrate additions was significantly greater than in control sand at the whole analyzed depth. The highest resistance values in media with substrate additions 2-2.5 times greater than those in sand alone – were observed at depth of 3.5-4.0 cm. Higher resistance of sand-substrate mixtures results from more intensive development of root systems, forming a mesh which binds sand particles. Such media would be less susceptible to erosion.

scholarly journals Development of Grass Root Systems as Influenced by Soil Compaction

1972 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 254 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. W. Fryrear ◽  
W. G. McCully
Keyword(s):  
Soil Compaction ◽  
Root Systems ◽  
Grass Root
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