Influence of soil water potential and mycorrhizal colonization on root growth of yellow-poplar and sweet gum seedlings grown in compacted soil

1988 ◽  
Vol 18 (11) ◽  
pp. 1392-1396 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. L. Simmons ◽  
P. E. Pope

A greenhouse study was conducted to determine the influence of soil water potential and endomycorrhizal fungi on root growth of yellow-poplar (Liriodendrontulipifera L.) and sweet gum (Liquidambarstyraciflua L.) seedlings grown at three soil bulk densities. Silt loam soil was compacted in PVC pots to bulk densities of 1.25 (low), 1.40 (medium), or 1.55 (high) Mg • m−3, and equilibrated at −10 kPa soil water potential. Newly germinated seedlings were transplanted into the pots, inoculated with fungal chlamydospores of Glomusmacrocarpum or Glomusfasciculaturn, or distilled water (control), and grown for 3 months at −10 or −300 kPa soil water potential. Total porosity, air-filled porosity, water content, and mechanical resistance of the soil were determined for samples compacted to the same bulk densities and equilibrated at the same soil water potentials as were used in the greenhouse study. Root growth was reduced by the high mechanical resistance caused by bulk densities of 1.40 and 1.55 Mg • m−3 at −300 kPa water potential. At both water potentials, total length of lateral roots and fibrosity of the root system of both tree species decreased significantly when bulk density increased from 1.40 to 1.55 Mg • m−3. Air-filled porosity less than 0.12 m3 • m−3 limited root growth when water potential was −10 kPa, and mechanical resistance greater than 3438 kPa restricted growth at −300 kPa. At −10 kPa, root length and fibrosity were greatest for inoculated sweet gum seedlings at each bulk density. At −300 kPa, sweet gum seedlings inoculated with G. fasciculatum had the greatest root length and fibrosity at the low and medium bulk densities. Mycorrhizal effects on root length of yellow-poplar were variable, and fibrosity was not significantly affected by mycorrhizal treatment.

HortScience ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 795-798 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dana L. Baumann ◽  
Beth Ann Workmaster ◽  
Kevin R. Kosola

Wisconsin cranberry growers report that fruit production by the cranberry cultivar `Ben Lear' (Vaccinium macrocarpon Ait.) is low in beds with poor drainage, while the cultivar `Stevens' is less sensitive to these conditions. We hypothesized that `Ben Lear' and `Stevens' would differ in their root growth and mortality response to variation in soil water potential. Rooted cuttings of each cultivar were grown in a green-house in sand-filled pots with three different soil water potentials which were regulated by a hanging water column below a fritted ceramic plate. A minirhizotron camera was used to record root growth and mortality weekly for five weeks. Root mortality was negligible (2% to 6%). Whole plant relative growth rates were greatest for both cultivars under the wettest conditions. Rooting depth was shallowest under the wettest conditions. Whole-plant relative growth rates of `Ben Lear' were higher than `Stevens' at all soil water potentials. `Stevens' plants had significantly higher root to shoot ratios and lower leaf area ratios than `Ben Lear' plants, and produced more total root length than `Ben Lear' at all soil water potentials. Shallow rooting, high leaf area ratio, and low allocation to root production by `Ben Lear' plants may lead to greater susceptibility to drought stress than `Stevens' plants in poorly drained cranberry beds.


1988 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 728-732 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. L. Simmons ◽  
P. E. Pope

A root growth model was developed to graphically simulate predicted root responses of yellow-poplar and sweetgum seedlings to changes in soil physical properties. Data for the model were collected in greenhouse and laboratory experiments. Newly germinated yellow-poplar (Liriodendrontulipifera L.) and sweetgum (Liquidambarstyraciflua L.) seedlings were transplanted into pots containing silt loam soil compacted to bulk densities of 1.25, 1.40, or 1.55 Mg m−3 and grown under greenhouse conditions for 3 months. Minimum water potentials were maintained at −10 or −300 kPa. At harvest, root systems were excavated, divided into orders of lateral roots, and length, number, and branching frequency of each order were determined. Air-filled porosity and mechanical resistance were determined for soil samples equilibrated at the same bulk densities and water potentials as those used in the greenhouse study. Based on root and soil parameters, the model ROOTSIM graphically depicts the root distribution of each tree species at different levels of bulk density, mechanical resistance, and air-filled porosity. The model accurately predicts lateral root length and distribution for the range of soil properties used in the greenhouse study but has not been validated for these or other soil conditions.


1987 ◽  
Vol 67 (2) ◽  
pp. 293-308 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. STYPA ◽  
A. NUNEZ-BARRIOS ◽  
D. A. BARRY ◽  
M. H. MILLER ◽  
W. A. MITCHELL

In a 4-yr study, root growth in the upper 50 cm of a silt loam soil (Gleyed Melanic Brunisol) was equal to or greater than that in a low-density artificial medium (soil:peat:perlite) in spite of a high bulk density in the soil (1.5 Mg m−3 in the 15-to 45-cm depth). We suggest that, due to the natural structure of the Bm horizon, the resistance to root growth is much less than would be expected from bulk density or penetrometer resistance measurements. Marked increases in P and K fertility in the surface soil had only minor effects on either the total length or distribution of roots although the shoot growth was markedly increased. Neither total root length nor root distribution were altered by irrigation during 1981, the only year a moisture variable was included. During a 2-wk dry period in July, prior to anthesis, soil water potential on the nonirrigated plots decreased to −1.5 MPa in the upper 15 cm and to −0.5 MPa in the 15- to 30-cm layer. Leaf water potential, stomatal conductance and rate of growth during the period were lower on the nonirrigated treatment although final dry matter production was not. The results indicate that corn root growth and distribution in the field are not as sensitive to environmental factors as one would expect from short-term laboratory studies. Key words: Corn, root growth, soil bulk density, fertility, soil water


2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Kara J. Riggs

The nodal root system is critical for the development of the mature root system in maize (Zea mays L.) and other grasses. Under drought conditions, nodal root axes may need to grow through surface soil that is dry, hard, and hot. These roots are known to have a superior ability to continue elongation at low water potentials relative to other organs of the plant, but the physiology of this response has been little studied. The objective of this study was to develop an experimental system that models the field situation in which upper soil layers dry, to enable studies of nodal root growth regulation under water deficit conditions. A divided-chamber experimental system was developed to allow the growth of maize primary and seminal root systems in well-watered conditions while the nodal root system is exposed to precise conditions of low soil water potential. The divided-chamber system was used to characterize nodal root growth responses to a range of soil water potentials under steady-state and reproducible conditions. Two contrasting genotypes, selected for differences in root growth response to water stress based on a previous study of the primary root, displayed similarly sensitive growth responses to -0.3 MPa soil, but different capacities to maintain high root tip water potential corresponding with different growth responses at lower soil water potentials. Both genotypes maintained relatively high nodal root tip water potentials in -2.0 MPa soil, despite the decreased soil water potential, suggesting a stress-induced response that enhances water transport to the root tip. The difference in high tissue water potential maintenance was seen not only between the contrasting genotypes but also between the first two developmental nodes of roots. The divided-chamber system provides a powerful experimental approach to investigate the physiological mechanisms regulating nodal root growth responses to adverse soil conditions. Future studies may include measurements of hydraulic conductivity, anatomical characterization of vascular elements near the growth zone, aquaporin content and activity, and suberin deposition in response to low soil water potentials.


1988 ◽  
Vol 68 (3) ◽  
pp. 569-576 ◽  
Author(s):  
YADVINDER SINGH ◽  
E. G. BEAUCHAMP

Two laboratory incubation experiments were conducted to determine the effect of initial soil water potential on the transformation of urea in large granules to nitrite and nitrate. In the first experiment two soils varying in initial soil water potentials (− 70 and − 140 kPa) were incubated with 2 g urea granules with and without a nitrification inhibitor (dicyandiamide) at 15 °C for 35 d. Only a trace of [Formula: see text] accumulated in a Brookston clay (pH 6.0) during the transformation of urea in 2 g granules. Accumulation of [Formula: see text] was also small (4–6 μg N g−1) in Conestogo silt loam (pH 7.6). Incorporation of dicyandiamide (DCD) into the urea granule at 50 g kg−1 urea significantly reduced the accumulation of [Formula: see text] in this soil. The relative rate of nitrification in the absence of DCD at −140 kPa water potential was 63.5% of that at −70 kPa (average of two soils). DCD reduced the nitrification of urea in 2 g granules by 85% during the 35-d period. In the second experiment a uniform layer of 2 g urea was placed in the center of 20-cm-long cores of Conestogo silt loam with three initial water potentials (−35, −60 and −120 kPa) and the soil was incubated at 15 °C for 45 d. The rate of urea hydrolysis was lowest at −120 kPa and greatest at −35 kPa. Soil pH in the vicinity of the urea layer increased from 7.6 to 9.1 and [Formula: see text] concentration was greater than 3000 μg g−1 soil. There were no significant differences in pH or [Formula: see text] concentration with the three soil water potential treatments at the 10th day of the incubation period. But, in the latter part of the incubation period, pH and [Formula: see text] concentration decreased with increasing soil water potential due to a higher rate of nitrification. Diffusion of various N species including [Formula: see text] was probably greater with the highest water potential treatment. Only small quantities of [Formula: see text] accumulated during nitrification of urea – N. Nitrification of urea increased with increasing water potential. After 35 d of incubation, 19.3, 15.4 and 8.9% of the applied urea had apparently nitrified at −35, −60 and −120 kPa, respectively. Nitrifier activity was completely inhibited in the 0- to 2-cm zone near the urea layer for 35 days. Nitrifier activity increased from an initial level of 8.5 to 73 μg [Formula: see text] in the 3- to 7-cm zone over the 35-d period. Nitrifier activity also increased with increasing soil water potential. Key words: Urea transformation, nitrification, water potential, large granules, nitrifier activity, [Formula: see text] production


1994 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 69 ◽  
Author(s):  
JG Phillips ◽  
SJ Riha

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.


1971 ◽  
Vol 51 (2) ◽  
pp. 211-220 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. J. YANG ◽  
E. DE JONG

Water uptake patterns of wheat plants were studied in a growth chamber by using two soils packed to three different bulk densities. The resistances to water movement in the soil and in the plant were calculated from the mathematical model for water uptake published in the literature. When the capillary potential of the soils was near −⅓ bar, withdrawal of water by plants was relatively small and most of the water was taken from the top 25 cm of the soil column. As soil water potential decreased, water uptake increased progressively toward the lower part of the soil column. The resistance to water movement in the plant increased from the top to the bottom of the root system and increased with increasing bulk density of the soils. For wet soils, unrealistic values were obtained which could be due to the fact that the interaction between aeration and moisture uptake is not taken into account in the theoretical equations for moisture uptake.


1987 ◽  
Vol 17 (8) ◽  
pp. 970-975 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. L. Simmons ◽  
P. E. Pope

A greenhouse study was conducted to determine the influence of soil compaction on root growth of yellow poplar (Liriodendrontulipifera L.) and sweet gum (Liquidambarstyraciflua L.) seedlings grown in association with the mycorrhizal fungi Glomusmacrocarpum Tul. and Tul. or G. fasciculatum (Thaxt) Gerd. and Trappe. Seedlings were transplanted into pots that contained silt loam compacted to bulk densities of 1.25, 1.40, or 1.55 Mg m−3. Fungal chlamydospores or control filtrates were used to inoculate seedlings. Weight and length of yellow poplar roots were significantly greater at the lower bulk densities than at the highest bulk density, but fibrosity of the root system was unaffected by increasing bulk density. Weight, length, and fibrosity of the sweetgum root system decreased significantly with each increase in bulk density. Inoculated yellow poplar seedlings had greater root weight at each bulk density than noninoculated seedlings, but root length was not influenced by mycorrhizal treatments at higher bulk densities. Fibrosity of yellow poplar roots varied by mycorrhizal treatment at each bulk density. Results indicate that for yellow poplar, compaction effects may outweigh mycorrhizal benefits at higher bulk densities. At each bulk density, sweet gum seedlings inoculated with G. fasciculatum showed the greatest root growth, suggesting that effects of compaction can be alleviated for sweet gum by inoculation with this mycorrhizal fungus.


HortScience ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 29 (5) ◽  
pp. 531e-531
Author(s):  
Erik B. G. Feibert ◽  
Clint C. Shock ◽  
Monty Saunders

Onions were grown with different soil water potentials as irrigation criteria to determine the soil water potential at which optimum onion yield and quality occurs. Furrow irrigation treatments in 1992 and 1993 consisted of six soil water potential thresholds (-12.5 to -100 kPa). Soil water potential in the first foot of soil was measured by granular matrix sensors (Watermark Model 200SS, Irrometer Co., Riverside, CA) that had been previously calibrated to tensiometers on the same silt loam series. Both years, yield and market grade based on bulb size (more jumbo and colossal onions) increased with wetter treatments. In 1993, a relatively cool year, onion grade peaked at -37.5 kPa due to a significant increase in rot during storage following the wetter treatments. These results suggest the importance of using moisture criteria to schedule irrigations for onions.


2007 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 46-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eugênio F. Coelho ◽  
Delfran B. dos Santos ◽  
Carlos A. V. de Azevedo

This research had as its objective the investigation of an alternative strategy for soil sensor placement to be used in citrus orchards irrigated by micro sprinkler. An experiment was carried out in a Tahiti lemon orchard under three irrigation intervals of 1, 2 and 3 days. Soil water potential, soil water content distribution and root water extraction were monitored by a time-domain-reflectometry (TDR) in several positions in soil profiles radial to the trees. Root length and root length density were determined from digital root images at the same positions in the soil profiles where water content was monitored. Results showed the importance of considering root water extraction in the definition of soil water sensor placement. The profile regions for soil water sensor placement should correspond to the intersection of the region containing at least 80% of total root length and the region of at least 80% of total water extraction. In case of tensiometers, the region of soil water potential above -80 kPa should be included in the intersection.


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