Lime-slotting technique to ameliorate subsoil acidity in a clay soil II. Effects on medic root-growth, water extraction and yield

Soil Research ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 443 ◽  
Author(s):  
NS Jayawardane ◽  
HD Barrs ◽  
WA Muirhead ◽  
J Blackwell ◽  
E Murray ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Root Growth ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Surface Area ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Acid Soil ◽  
Water Extraction ◽  
Undisturbed Soil ◽  
Subsoil Acidity ◽  
Soil Water Extraction ◽  
Limed Soil

Subsoil acidity causes low crop production, which is often associated with shallow root development and restricted soil water extraction. In part I of this series, lime-slotting of an acid soil was shown to improve the soil physical and chemical characteristics for root growth. In a lysimeter study on an acid soil, the effects of several soil ameliorative treatments on root growth, water extraction and yields of a medic crop were evaluated. Large lysimeter cores of 0.75 m diameter and 1.35 m deep were used. The soil treatments included a non-ameliorated acid soil, lime-slotting with a 0.15 m wide and 0.8 m deep slot containing 20 t ha-1 of lime, lime-slotting combined with surface phospho-gypsum application at 10 t ha-1, and complete amelioration of the entire soil volume by mixing lime at 133 t ha-1 and repacking to a low bulk density of 1.1 t m-3. In the non-ameliorated acid soil, medic roots were confined to the surface (0.1 m) layer, resulting in limited water extraction of 32 mm during a prolonged drying cycle, and a low dry matter yield of 70 g m-2. In the lime slotted soil, roots grew within the slot to its full depth, although penetration into the undisturbed soil was restricted to the soil immediately adjacent to the slot. Consequently, the root length per unit surface area (La) at depths below 0.1 m depth was increased to 9.9 km m-2. During a drying cycle, water extraction increased to 58 mm. The increased water extraction came from both the slotted soil and the undisturbed soil between slots. This led to an increase in dry matter yields to 270 g m2. In lime-slotted soils with surface gypsum applications, the root growth and crop water extraction patterns were similar to the lime-slotted soil. Repacking limed soil resulted in similar root lengths (L(a) 10.0 km m-2) as lime-slotted soil. However, owing to more uniform distribution of roots in the repacked soil, water extraction was increased to 100 mm and yields increased to 590 g m-2. Yields of non-ameliorated soil were only 12% of the repacked, limed soil. However, lime-slotting which involves loosening only 25% of the soil surface area and addition of only one-sixth of the amount of lime required for complete soil amelioration, led to marked increases in yield (46% of the yield of repacked soil). Future field studies are required to evaluate the optimum limed-slot configurations required for different soils, crops and climatic regimes.

scholarly journals Soil water extraction by roots and Kc for the coffee crop

2009 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 257-261 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adriana L. da Silva ◽  
Isabeli P. Bruno ◽  
Klaus Reichardt ◽  
Osny O. S. Bacchi ◽  
Durval Dourado-Neto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Root System ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Soil Layer ◽  
Water Extraction ◽  
Area Index ◽  
Direct Measurements ◽  
Top Soil ◽  
Soil Water Extraction ◽  
Crop Coefficients

Basic information for a rational soil-water management of the coffee crop is still insufficient, particularly under irrigated conditions. Of great importance for the estimation of water requirements of coffee crops are their root distribuition and evapotranspiration crop coefficients. This study compares soil water extraction by roots of coffee plants of the variety "Catuaí Vermelho" (IAC-44), grown in Piracicaba, SP, Brazil, 3 to 5 years old, with direct measurements of root dry matter, showing a good agreement between both approaches, and confirming that most of the root system is distributed in the top soil layer (0-0.3 m) and that less than 10% of the root system reaches depths greater than 1.0 m. Calculated evapotranspiration crop coefficients are in agreement with those found in the literature, with an average of 1.1, independent of shoot dry matter, plant height and leaf area index.

Root growth and soil-water extraction by winter and spring wheat

1992 ◽  
Vol 72 (4) ◽  
pp. 1109-1120 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. H. Entz ◽  
K. G. Gross ◽  
D. B. Fowler
Keyword(s):  
Root Growth ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Spring Wheat ◽  
Root Length ◽  
Water Extraction ◽  
Rooting Depth ◽  
Total Root Length ◽  
Rooting Patterns ◽  
Soil Water Extraction ◽  
Crop Maturity

Efficiencies of soil-water extraction and use are important factors determining crop productivity in dryland regions. This study was conducted from 1986 to 1988 to compare root growth and soil-water extraction of Norstar and Norwin winter wheat (WW) (Triticum aestivum L.) and Katepwa and HY320 spring wheat (SW). Total root length and rooting depth increased with crop-development stage and level of available soil water. Preanthesis root development was concentrated at soils depths with temperatures greater than 15 °C. Maximum rooting depth at crop maturity ranged from 110 to 130 cm and 60–80% of the total root length was found in the top 50 cm of soil. The rooting patterns of SW and WW were similar at each sampling date despite differences in the stages of development. However, the earlier development of WW resulted in a greater root length for WW by the end of May, an advantage maintained until WW maturity. Differences in the rooting patterns of semidwarf and tall cultivars were not detected. The average change in available soil water (0–130 cm depth) over all cultivars and locations between early May and crop maturity was 5 cm. Ninety-five percent of this water was extracted from the upper 70 cm of soil. Actual rooting depth and maximum depth of soil-water extraction were highly correlated (r = 0.87**). In six of eight trials, WW cultivars used significantly more water from the top 50 cm of the profile in May than SW. In one trial, WW extracted significantly more water from several soil-depth increments than SW over the entire growing season. In the remaining trials, levels of available soil water at SW anthesis and harvest were similar for all cultivars or were higher for WW cultivars because of soil-water recharge by late-season precipitation. Therefore, with the exception of greater early-season water extraction by WW, few consistent differences in soil-water extraction patterns were observed among cultivars considered in this study. Higher water-use efficiency for WW in these trials was attributed to differences in timing of water extraction and not to differences in depth of water extraction.Key words: Canadian prairies, soil-water extraction, root growth, spring wheat, winter wheat, semidwarf, tall, Triticum aestivum

Temporal and spatial patterns of soil water extraction and drought resistance among genotypes of a perennial C4 grass

2013 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 379 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi Zhou ◽  
Christopher J. Lambrides ◽  
Matthew B. Roche ◽  
Alan Duff ◽  
Shu Fukai
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Drought Resistance ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Root Length Density ◽  
Water Extraction ◽  
Root Characteristics ◽  
Green Cover ◽  
C4 Grass ◽  
Soil Water Extraction

The objective of this study was to investigate patterns of soil water extraction and drought resistance among genotypes of bermudagrass (Cynodon spp.) a perennial C4 grass. Four wild Australian ecotypes (1–1, 25a1, 40–1, and 81–1) and four cultivars (CT2, Grand Prix, Legend, and Wintergreen) were examined in field experiments with rainfall excluded to monitor soil water extraction at 30–190 cm depths. In the study we defined drought resistance as the ability to maintain green canopy cover under drought. The most drought resistant genotypes (40–1 and 25a1) maintained more green cover (55–85% vs 5–10%) during water deficit and extracted more soil water (120–160 mm vs 77–107 mm) than drought sensitive genotypes, especially at depths from 50 to 110 cm, though all genotypes extracted water to 190 cm. The maintenance of green cover and higher soil water extraction were associated with higher stomatal conductance, photosynthetic rate and relative water content. For all genotypes, the pattern of water use as a percentage of total water use was similar across depth and time We propose the observed genetic variation was related to different root characteristics (root length density, hydraulic conductivity, root activity) although shoot sensitivity to drying soil cannot be ruled out.

Use of water extraction variability to screen for sunflower genotypes well adapted to soil water limitation

2012 ◽  
Vol 39 (12) ◽  
pp. 999
Author(s):  
Ando M. Radanielson ◽  
Jeremie Lecoeur ◽  
Angelique Christophe ◽  
Lydie Guilioni
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Phenotypic Variability ◽  
Water Extraction ◽  
Breeding Programs ◽  
Mean Values ◽  
Relative Value ◽  
Water Uptake Capacity ◽  
Extraction Properties ◽  
Soil Water Extraction ◽  
The Mean

In conditions of water deficit, plant yield depends mostly on the ability of the plant to explore soil profile and its water uptake capacity per unit volume of soil. In this study, the value of soil water extraction properties for use in sunflower breeding was evaluated. Five experiments were carried out in pots, in greenhouses, from 2005 to 2009, in Montpellier, France. Elite sunflower cultivars and experimental hybrids obtained from a factorial cross between five female and five male inbred lines were grown. The soil water extraction performance of the plants was characterised by the soil water content at minimal stomatal conductance (SWCgs = 0) and the index of water extraction (IEgen), which was calculated as the relative value of SWCgs = 0 to the performance of the cultivar NKMelody. Heritability (H2) was estimated for the experimental hybrids. Phenotypic variability of the SWCgs = 0 was observed with a significant effect of the environment and the genotype. The latest released cultivars were observed as the best performing one in water extraction with an IEgen under 0.85. This trait was found to be suitable for use in comparisons of the soil water extraction performances of different genotypes. The high H2 value for SWCgs = 0 (0.77 and 0.81) and the significant correlation (r2 = 0.70, P < 0.001) between the values obtained for the experimental hybrids and the mean values of the general combining ability (GCA) for the parental lines showed that this trait is heritable and could be used in plant breeding programs. Phenotyping methods and the usefulness of this trait in crop modelling are discussed.

Root Growth, Water Uptake and Canopy Development in Eucalyptus viminalis Seedlings

1994 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 69 ◽  
Author(s):  
JG Phillips ◽  
SJ Riha
Keyword(s):  
Root Growth ◽  
Water Potential ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Water Loss ◽  
Soil Water Potential ◽  
Water Extraction ◽  
Soil Conditions ◽  
Lower Section ◽  
Canopy Development ◽  
Eucalyptus Viminalis

A split-root experiment was conducted using Eucalyptus viminalis seedlings which were exposed to three watering regimes in order to investigate root growth and soil water extraction under conditions of a drying soil profile. Seedlings were grown in columns in which the soil was divided horizontally with a soft wax plate. Watering treatments were composed of (1) both upper and lower sections of the column well watered (W/W), (2) only the lower section well watered (D/W), and (3) water withheld completely from both upper and lower sections (D/D). Daily measurements included soil water potential (Ψs), column water loss and leaf elongation. Increase in above- and below-ground biomass was deter- mined from initial and final harvests after 25 days of treatment. Whole-column water loss and leaf extension were depressed as Ψs in the upper section of D/W and D/D decreased to -0.4 MPa over the first 8-10 days. However, water loss did not decrease significantly in the lower section of treatment D/W relative to the lower section of treatment W/W during this period. This indicated that water extraction by roots remaining in wet soil was not severely inhibited by the decrease in transpiration associated with the soil conditions in the upper profile. Root distribution at the end of the experiment indicated significant growth in the lower section of treatment D/W. There was evidence that hydraulic lifting of water between column sections may have occurred, as periodic increases in soil water potential of the unwatered upper section of D/W were observed.

Preliminary investigation of clay soils' behaviour under furrow irrigated cotton

Soil Research ◽  
1984 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 99 ◽  
Author(s):  
D Mcgarry ◽  
KY Chan
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
Preliminary Investigation ◽  
Air Permeability ◽  
Water Extraction ◽  
Growth And Yield ◽  
First Year ◽  
Physical Status ◽  
Soil Water Extraction ◽  
Wheel Track

Six experimental sites were selected, in the Namoi Valley, N.S.W., all on self-mulching cracking clay soil, to provide a variety of both management practice and length of time under cotton. Within each of the sites randomly located plots were positioned to cover both wheel-track and non-wheel-track areas. The design allowed assessment of both during-season effects caused by tractor wheels and between-site effects. Neither soil physical status (as measured by soil water extraction, air permeability and recovery of air-filled pores) nor yield was influenced by during-season tractor passes. However, non-wheel areas had significantly taller plants and more green cotton bolls per plant than wheel-influenced areas. Pronounced differences between sites in both soil physical status and cotton growth and yield were measured. For those sites in their first year of cotton there was greater soil water extraction, greater air permeability and more rapid recovery of air-filled porosity. They also produced up to 30% more yield in comparison with sites growing cotton for 8-17 years. At no site did any evidence arise to show 'ploughpan' or 'hardpan' formation.

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