scholarly journals Chicory demonstrates substantial water uptake from below 2 m depth, but still did not escape topsoil drought

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Camilla Ruø Rasmussen ◽  
Kristian Thorup-Kristensen ◽  
Dorte Bodin Dresbøll
Keyword(s):  
Water Uptake ◽  
Deep Water ◽  
Resource Competition ◽  
Root Zone ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
Agricultural Crops ◽  
Deep Soil ◽  
Deep Roots ◽  
Lolium Perenne L ◽  
Medicago Lupulina

AbstractAimsDeep-rooted agricultural crops can potentially utilize deep water pools and thus reduce periods where growth is water limited. Chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) is known to be deep-rooted, but the contribution of deep roots to water uptake under well-watered and drought conditions by the deep root system has not been studied. The aim of this study was to investigate whether chicory could reach 3 m depth within a growing season and demonstrate significant water uptake from the deeper part of the root zone.MethodsWe tested if chicory exposed to either topsoil drought or resource competition from the shallow-rooted species ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) and black medic (Medicago lupulina L.) would increase deep water uptake in compensation for reduced topsoil water uptake. We grew chicory in 4 m deep soil filled rhizotrons and found that the roots reached 3 m depth within a growing season.ResultsWater uptake from below 1.7 m depth in 2016 and 2.3 m depth in 2017 contributed significantly to chicory water use. However, neither drought nor intercropping increased the deep water uptake.ConclusionChicory benefits from being deep-rooted during drought events, yet deep water uptake cannot compensate for the reduced topsoil water uptake during drought.

scholarly journals Uptake of subsoil water below 2 m fails to alleviate drought response in deep-rooted Chicory (Cichorium intybus L.)

2019 ◽  
Vol 446 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 275-290 ◽  
Author(s):  
Camilla Ruø Rasmussen ◽  
Kristian Thorup-Kristensen ◽  
Dorte Bodin Dresbøll
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Water Uptake ◽  
Deep Water ◽  
Resource Competition ◽  
Cichorium Intybus ◽  
Soil Drying ◽  
Deep Soil ◽  
Deep Roots ◽  
Medicago Lupulina ◽  
Non Destructive

Abstract Aims Deep-rooted agricultural crops can potentially utilize deep soil moisture to reduce periods where growth is water limited. Chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) is a deep-rooted species, but the benefits of deep roots to water uptake has not been studied. The aim of this study was to investigate the value of deep roots (>2 m) under topsoil water limitation. Methods Chicory grown in 4 m deep soil-filled rhizotrons was exposed to either topsoil drought or resource competition from the shallow-rooted species ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) and black medic (Medicago lupulina L.). The effect on deep water uptake was assessed using non-destructive measurements of roots, soil water and tracers. Results Water uptake occurred below 1.7 m depth in 2016, and below 2.3 m depth in 2017 and contributed significantly to chicory water use. However, neither surface soil drying nor intercropping increased deep water uptake to relieve water deficit in the shoots. Conclusion Chicory benefits from deep-roots during drought events, as it acceses deep soil moisture unavailable to more shallow rooted species, yet deep water uptake was unable to compensate for the reduced topsoil water uptake due to soil drying or crop competition.

What limits deep water uptake by deep-rooted crops?

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Camilla Rasmussen ◽  
Eva Rosenqvist ◽  
Fulai Liu ◽  
Dorte Bodin Dresbøll ◽  
Kristian Thorup-Kristensen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hydraulic Conductivity ◽  
Water Uptake ◽  
Deep Water ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Root Zone ◽  
Root Length Density ◽  
Yield Losses ◽  
Deep Soil ◽  
Deep Roots ◽  
Water Limitations

<p>Minimizing water limitation during growth of agricultural crops is crucial to unlocking full yield potentials. Crop yield losses vary according to timing and severity of water limitations, but even short-term droughts can be a major cause of yield losses. While the potential influence of deep roots on water uptake has been highlighted numerous times, the actual contribution of deep roots to water uptake is yet to be revealed. The objective of this study is to get an understanding of what limits deep water uptake by deep-rooted crops under topsoil water limitations.</p><p>We found that deep-rooted crops experience water limitations despite access to water stored in the deep soil and we hypothesize that deep water uptake by deep-rooted crops is limited by 1) the hydraulic conductivity of the deeper part of the root zone, arising from limited root length density in combination with the hydraulic resistance of the roots or 2) by a hormonal response arising from the plant sensing dry conditions in the shallow soil leading to stomata closure, to conserve water. The two hypotheses can of course not be valid simultaneously, but both might be valid under certain conditions, at certain times or for certain species.</p><p>In a large-scale semi-field setup, we grow oil seed rape and by combining measures of root development, root hydraulic conductivity, transpiration, stomatal conductance, ABA concentrations and soil water content from a large scale semi-field setup with a mechanistic 3-D root-soil modelling approach (R-SWMS), we are able to us distinguish various scenarios and to evaluate what limits deep water uptake.</p>

A Global Picture of the Depth and Origin of Soil Water Uptake by Vegetation

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gonzalo Miguez-Macho ◽  
Ying Fan
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Water Uptake ◽  
Land Surface ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Deep Soil ◽  
Deep Roots ◽  
Carbon Cycles ◽  
Dry Climates ◽  
Shallow Soils

<div><span>Plants play a fundamental role in the climate system, not only as important components of the global water and carbon cycles, but because they provide a key link between water stores in the deep soil and the atmosphere. Vegetation has evolved strategies to cope with droughts, such as the existence of deep roots allowing for the shifting of water uptake to deeper layers storing past precipitation, as water from more recent precipitation on top is depleted and not replenished. Here we ask the following question: To what extent is the soil water uptake source for vegetation the recent rain reaching shallow soils, or past wet-season rain stored in deep soils, or past rain that reached the water table, which sends the water back up through capillary flux, or past rain that flowed down the topographic gradient from ridges to valleys (i.e. upland to lowland subsidy)? We address this question through (a) a synthesis of 528 observations of stable isotopes of O/H in plant xylem and source waters, compiled from the literature, and (b) a dynamic high-resolution (1km) model representing the global soil-plant-atmosphere continuum at the global scale by explicitly coupling land surface-groundwater and root uptake, driven by reanalysis atmosphere and observed leaf area. Both model and isotope methods reveal that plant use of past precipitation is globally widespread and particularly significant in semi-arid or seasonally dry climates and lowland ecosystems. Seasonal shifting to deeper uptake tapping past precipitation in dry periods is common even in wetter climates. </span>The model results allow us to further distinguish among past precipitation stored as deep soil water or from local or remote groundwater sources. Our findings shed critical lights on the depth and origin of the water supporting global photosynthesis, hence their resilience or vulnerability to seasonal-interannual droughts across the globe and vegetation response to climate change.</div>

Deep tritiated water uptake and predawn xylem water potentials as indicators of vertical rooting extent in a Quercus–Carya forest

1989 ◽  
Vol 19 (5) ◽  
pp. 627-631 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey W. Stringer ◽  
Paul J. Kalisz ◽  
John A. Volpe
Keyword(s):  
Water Uptake ◽  
Deep Water ◽  
Tritiated Water ◽  
Water Source ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
Surface Soils ◽  
Water Potentials ◽  
Second Growth ◽  
Highly Correlated ◽  
Fractured Sandstone

Transpiration uptake from a tritiated water source (3H2O) associated with a sandstone bed at 3 m depth was examined in a second-growth Quercus–Carya forest. The effect of utilization of deep water on predawn xylem water potentials (Pstem) was also investigated. The 3H2O saturated the soil contacting the sandstone bed. As surface soils dried during the growing season, 3H2O uptake increased. Although all trees growing over the 3H2O reserve were capable of utilizing some of this water, Q. alba trees from all canopy levels generally exhibited higher foliage tritium (3H) activities than C. glabra (Mill.) Sweet. Higher (less negative) Pstem values were associated with trees having higher foliage 3H activities. The Q. alba tree with the highest foliage 3H activity, 1.2 × 106 Bq•L−1, exhibited the highest Pstem value, −0.875 MPa; the Q. alba tree with the lowest 3H activity also had the lowest Pstem value, 4.5 × 104 Bq•L−1 and −1.75 MPa, respectively. Pstem and the logarithm of 3H activity were highly correlated (r2 = 0.89), suggesting that predawn moisture status was at least partially controlled by the ability of trees to utilize the deep water reserve at or near the fractured sandstone bed.

scholarly journals Soil Water Uptake Patterns of Pecan Trees Grown in Coarse Gravelly Soils

1999 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 402-408 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronald B. Sorensen ◽  
Tim L. Jones
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Water Table ◽  
Water Uptake ◽  
Deep Water ◽  
Root Zone ◽  
Soil Depth ◽  
High Water ◽  
Neutron Probe ◽  
Uptake Pattern ◽  
Gravelly Soils

Soil depth for water uptake in pecan trees [Carya illinoensis (Wangenh.) C. Koch `Western Schley'] is considered to be <100 cm (3.2 ft) for sites that have high water tables. The objective of this research was to determine the water uptake pattern of pecan trees grown on sites with a deep water table [>30 m (100 ft)] and irrigated at 50 kPa (0.5 bar). Trees (15- to 20-year-old trunks) were transplanted into laser-leveled terraces in 1986. Two terraces (T) were selected and irrigated (1994 and 1995) at 50 kPa (T5) and farmer controlled [T6, weekly at ≈30 kPa (0.3 bar)]. Soil water content was measured on a 1.3 by 1.3 m (4 ft by 4 ft) grid for one tree in each terrace using a neutron probe. In 1994, the average soil depth for water uptake was 75 (2.5 ft) and 62 cm (2.0 ft) for T5 and T6 respectively. In 1995, the average soil depth for water uptake was 150 cm (5 ft) on T5 and 130 cm (4 ft) on T6. The total quantity of water removed below 140 cm (4.6 ft) soil depth was minor (<15%) when compared with the total water removed between 0 and 140 cm depth. T5 showed a deeper (260 cm; 8.5 ft) and wider (3.0 to 5.0 m; 10 to 16 ft) water uptake pattern compared with T6. Thus, pecan trees growing on these coarse soils with a deep water table and irrigated at 50 kPa have an effective root zone of ≈140 to 150 cm (4.6 to 5.0 ft).

scholarly journals Importance of deep water uptake in tropical eucalypt forest

2016 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 509-519 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mathias Christina ◽  
Yann Nouvellon ◽  
Jean‐Paul Laclau ◽  
Jose L. Stape ◽  
Jean‐Pierre Bouillet ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Uptake ◽  
Deep Water ◽  
Eucalypt Forest

scholarly journals Combined simulation and optimization framework for irrigation scheduling in agriculture fields

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mireia Fontanet ◽  
Daniel Fernàndez-Garcia ◽  
Gema Rodrigo ◽  
Francesc Ferrer ◽  
Josep Maria Villar
Keyword(s):  
Crop Yields ◽  
Root Zone ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
Irrigation Scheduling ◽  
Irrigated Agriculture ◽  
Traditional Methods ◽  
Simulation And Optimization ◽  
Optimization Framework ◽  
Net Margin ◽  
Combined Simulation

AbstractIn the context of growing evidence of climate change and the fact that agriculture uses about 70% of all the water available for irrigation in semi-arid areas, there is an increasing probability of water scarcity scenarios. Water irrigation optimization is, therefore, one of the main goals of researchers and stakeholders involved in irrigated agriculture. Irrigation scheduling is often conducted based on simple water requirement calculations without accounting for the strong link between water movement in the root zone, soil–water–crop productivity and irrigation expenses. In this work, we present a combined simulation and optimization framework aimed at estimating irrigation parameters that maximize the crop net margin. The simulation component couples the movement of water in a variably saturated porous media driven by irrigation with crop water uptake and crop yields. The optimization component assures maximum gain with minimum cost of crop production during a growing season. An application of the method demonstrates that an optimal solution exists and substantially differs from traditional methods. In contrast to traditional methods, results show that the optimal irrigation scheduling solution prevents water logging and provides a more constant value of water content during the entire growing season within the root zone. As a result, in this case, the crop net margin cost exhibits a substantial increase with respect to the traditional method. The optimal irrigation scheduling solution is also shown to strongly depend on the particular soil hydraulic properties of the given field site.

scholarly journals Modelling the Impact on Root Water Uptake and Solute Return Flow of Different Drip Irrigation Regimes with Brackish Water

Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 425 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fairouz Slama ◽  
Nessrine Zemni ◽  
Fethi Bouksila ◽  
Roberto De Mascellis ◽  
Rachida Bouhlila
Keyword(s):  
Water Content ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Soil Water Content ◽  
Water Uptake ◽  
Brackish Water ◽  
Deficit Irrigation ◽  
Root Zone ◽  
Root Water Uptake ◽  
Return Flows ◽  
Semi Arid

Water scarcity and quality degradation represent real threats to economic, social, and environmental development of arid and semi-arid regions. Drip irrigation associated to Deficit Irrigation (DI) has been investigated as a water saving technique. Yet its environmental impacts on soil and groundwater need to be gone into in depth especially when using brackish irrigation water. Soil water content and salinity were monitored in a fully drip irrigated potato plot with brackish water (4.45 dSm−1) in semi-arid Tunisia. The HYDRUS-1D model was used to investigate the effects of different irrigation regimes (deficit irrigation (T1R, 70% ETc), full irrigation (T2R, 100% ETc), and farmer’s schedule (T3R, 237% ETc) on root water uptake, root zone salinity, and solute return flows to groundwater. The simulated values of soil water content (θ) and electrical conductivity of soil solution (ECsw) were in good agreement with the observation values, as indicated by mean RMSE values (≤0.008 m3·m−3, and ≤0.28 dSm−1 for soil water content and ECsw respectively). The results of the different simulation treatments showed that relative yield accounted for 54%, 70%, and 85.5% of the potential maximal value when both water and solute stress were considered for deficit, full. and farmer’s irrigation, respectively. Root zone salinity was the lowest and root water uptake was the same with and without solute stress for the treatment corresponding to the farmer’s irrigation schedule (273% ETc). Solute return flows reaching the groundwater were the highest for T3R after two subsequent rainfall seasons. Beyond the water efficiency of DI with brackish water, long term studies need to focus on its impact on soil and groundwater salinization risks under changing climate conditions.

Low rates of phosphorus fertiliser applied strategically throughout the growing season under rain-fed conditions did not affect dry matter production of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.)

2010 ◽  
Vol 61 (5) ◽  
pp. 353 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. L. Burkitt ◽  
D. J. Donaghy ◽  
P. J. Smethurst
Keyword(s):  
Lolium Perenne ◽  
Perennial Ryegrass ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
Dry Matter Production ◽  
Pasture Production ◽  
Lolium Perenne L ◽  
Matter Production ◽  
Extractable P ◽  
Intensively Managed

Pasture is the cheapest source of feed for dairy cows, therefore, dairy pastures in Australia are intensively managed to maximise milk production and profits. Although soil testing commonly suggests that soils used for dairy pasture production have adequate supplies of phosphorus (P), many Australian dairy farmers still apply fertiliser P, often by applying smaller rates more frequently throughout the year. This study was designed to test the hypotheses that more frequent, but lower rates of P fertiliser applied strategically throughout the growing season have no effect on dry matter production and P concentration in perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), when soil extractable P concentrations are above the critical value reported in the literature. Three field sites were established on rain-fed dairy pasture soils ranging in P sorption capacity and with adequate soil P concentrations for maximising pasture production. Results showed that applied P fertiliser had no effect on pasture production across the 3 sites (P > 0.05), regardless of rate or the season in which the P was applied, confirming that no P fertiliser is required when soil extractable P concentrations are adequate. This finding challenges the viability of the current industry practice. In addition, applying P fertiliser as a single annual application in summer did not compromise pasture production at any of the 3 sites (P > 0.05), which supports the current environmental recommendations of applying P during drier conditions, when the risk of surface P runoff is generally lower. The current results also demonstrate that the short-term cessation of P fertiliser application may be a viable management option, as a minimal reduction in pasture production was measured over the experimental period.

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