ISSN:
1573-5036
Keywords:
depth distribution
;
irrigation
;
nitrogen fertilization
;
root biomass
;
soil-coring
;
wheat
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition
Notes:
Abstract Root biomass, root nitrogen content, and root distribution down to 50 cm depth in winter wheat were determined by soil coring on five dates in four different treatments: control (C), drought (D), daily irrigation (I), and daily irrigation and fertilization (IF). The first three treatments received the N fertilizer application as a single dose in spring, whereas in IF daily doses of N were supplied in the irrigation water using a drip-tube system, according to the estimated nutrient demand of the crop. All treatments received 20 g N m−2 year−1. The maximum root biomass (104 g m−2) was reached earliest in IF. On 6 June, root samples were taken down to a depth of 100 cm, and the proportion of deep roots (50–100 cm) was least in I, indicating that it had the shaklowest root system. The root biomass as a fraction of the total plant mass decreased during crop development in all treatments down to about 4% at harvest. The decrease was more rapid in I and C than in D and IF. The higher proportion of roots during spring in D and IF coincided with a low nitrogen concentration in the roots, which was attributed to the restricted water supply and to the relative shortage of nitrogen during early crop development in D and IF, respectively. The dynamics of mass and nitrogen in macroscopic organic debris in the soil suggested that root turnover rates were high. ei]{gnB E}{fnClothier}
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00010782
