Assessing the uncertainty of soil-moisture impact on convective precipitation by an ensemble approach

Soil moisture influences the occurrence of convective precipitation. Therefore an accurate knowledge of soil moisture might be useful for an improved prediction of convective cells. But still the model uncertainty overshadows the impact of soil moisture in realistic cases even in 1 km resolution and therefore convection resolving models. Only drastic soil moisture changes can exhibit the model uncertainties but the systematic behaviour is still complex and depends strongly on the strength of soil moisture change. Here we performed seven experiments with modified soil moisture using an ensemble approach for each experiment. Only a 50 % soil moisture enhancement and a complete dried soil impact precipitation patterns considerably in structure, amplitude and location in certain analysis areas. Both, the enhanced and reduced soil moisture result in a reduced precipitation rate. Replacing the soil moisture by a realistic field from different days influences the precipitation insignificantly. We point out the need for uncertainty estimations in soil moisture studies.

Cultivation and Irrigation of Fernleaf Biscuitroot (Lomatium dissectum) for Seed Production

Native grass, forb, and shrub seed is needed to restore rangelands of the U.S. Intermountain West. Fernleaf biscuitroot [Lomatium dissectum (Nutt.) Mathias & Constance] is a desirable component of rangelands. Commercial seed production is necessary to provide the quantity and quality of seed needed for rangeland restoration and reclamation efforts. Fernleaf biscuitroot has been used for hundreds if not thousands of years in the western United States as a source of food and medicine. Knowledge about fernleaf biscuitroot is confined to ethnobotanical reports, evaluation of some of its chemical constituents, and its role in rangelands. Products derived from fernleaf biscuitroot are sourced from wild plant populations. Little is known about fernleaf biscuitroot cultivation or its seed production. Variations in spring rainfall and soil moisture result in highly unpredictable water stress at flowering, seed set, and seed development of fernleaf biscuitroot. Water stress is known to compromise seed yield and quality for other seed crops. Irrigation trials were conducted at the Oregon State University Malheur Experiment Station at Ontario, OR, a location within the natural environmental range of fernleaf biscuitroot. It was anticipated that supplemental irrigation would be required to produce a seed crop in all years. Fernleaf biscuitroot was established through mechanical planting and cultivation on 26 Oct. 2005 in a randomized complete block design with four replicates; plot size was 9.1 m × 3.04 m wide. Irrigation treatments were 0 mm, 100 mm, and 200 mm/year applied in four equal treatments 2 weeks apart, timed to begin with flowering and continue through seed formation. First flowering occurred in the third year after planting. Seed production increased from the fourth through the sixth year. Optimal irrigation for seed production was calculated as 140 mm/year.

ROOTSTOCK GROWTH AFFECTED BY CROPPING LEVEL UNDER LOW SOIL-MOISTURE CONDITIONS IN SEYVAL GRAPEVINES

Both berries and roots of grapevines are powerful carbohydrate sinks. However, during periods of soil-moisture stress, the relative strength of these two sinks is not known. This experiment was conducted to evaluate interrelationships between differing crop loads on carbohydrate partitioning for above and below-ground tissues. Root development, depth, and rate of turnover were determined by quantifying root images from video recordings taken to depths of 75 cm at two week intervals throughout the growing season. Two-year old own rooted Seyval grapevines, and Seyval grafted to 5-BB and Seyval, were grown under a rain exclusion shelter and provided with 10 or 2.5 liters of water/plant/week. Treatments were cropping level, either 0 or 6-clusters/vine. Shoot length, number of mature nodes, and dry leaf weight of vines under high cropping level were significantly reduced compared to vines growing under the low cropping level; so was root number and depth of root penetration. These data suggest that conditions of low soil moisture result in carbohydrate partitioning in favor of the clusters at the expense of the roots.