Effect of nitrogen on the distribution of biomass and element composition of the root system of miscanthus × giganteus

Perennial bioenergy grass crops, despite a relatively similar production of aboveground biomass, show significant differences in the overall root biomass. Rhizomes play a key role in economizing nutrients in miscanthus. The aim of this research was to establish the effect of N (nitrogen) on the distribution of biomass and concentration of major macro- and micronutrients in the miscanthus root system, using simple experiment in pots. After two years of growth, the rhizomes and roots were taken out of the pots, cleaned of earth and analyzed. About 2/3 of the mass of the miscanthus root system consist of rhizome mass. The overall dry biomass of newly formed rhizomes and roots is decreased with the increase in the amount of applied N fertilization. Thereby, the N concentration in the entire root system, as well as in some of its parts, increased with the rise in applied amount of N. Our results show that increasing amounts of applied N consistently negatively correlate with P concentrations in the miscanthus root system, in contrast to Mn concentrations, with which they correlate positively.

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Effect of earthworms on mycorrhization, root morphology and biomass of silver fir seedlings inoculated with black summer truffle (Tuber aestivum Vittad.)

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-85497-8 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Tina Unuk Nahberger ◽

Gian Maria Niccolò Benucci ◽

Hojka Kraigher ◽

Tine Grebenc

Keyword(s):

Root System ◽

Root Biomass ◽

Fine Root ◽

Abies Alba ◽

Fine Root Biomass ◽

Root Tip ◽

Silver Fir ◽

Tuber Aestivum ◽

Root Tips ◽

Root Parameters

AbstractSpecies of the genus Tuber have gained a lot of attention in recent decades due to their aromatic hypogenous fruitbodies, which can bring high prices on the market. The tendency in truffle production is to infect oak, hazel, beech, etc. in greenhouse conditions. We aimed to show whether silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) can be an appropriate host partner for commercial mycorrhization with truffles, and how earthworms in the inoculation substrate would affect the mycorrhization dynamics. Silver fir seedlings inoculated with Tuber. aestivum were analyzed for root system parameters and mycorrhization, how earthworms affect the bare root system, and if mycorrhization parameters change when earthworms are added to the inoculation substrate. Seedlings were analyzed 6 and 12 months after spore inoculation. Mycorrhization with or without earthworms revealed contrasting effects on fine root biomass and morphology of silver fir seedlings. Only a few of the assessed fine root parameters showed statistically significant response, namely higher fine root biomass and fine root tip density in inoculated seedlings without earthworms 6 months after inoculation, lower fine root tip density when earthworms were added, the specific root tip density increased in inoculated seedlings without earthworms 12 months after inoculation, and general negative effect of earthworm on branching density. Silver fir was confirmed as a suitable host partner for commercial mycorrhization with truffles, with 6% and 35% mycorrhization 6 months after inoculation and between 36% and 55% mycorrhization 12 months after inoculation. The effect of earthworms on mycorrhization of silver fir with Tuber aestivum was positive only after 6 months of mycorrhization, while this effect disappeared and turned insignificantly negative after 12 months due to the secondary effect of grazing on ectomycorrhizal root tips.

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Effects on Crop Development, Yields and Chemical Composition of Celeriac (Apium graveolens L. var. rapaceum) Cultivated Underneath an Agrivoltaic System

Agronomy ◽

10.3390/agronomy11040733 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (4) ◽

pp. 733

Author(s):

Axel Weselek ◽

Andrea Bauerle ◽

Sabine Zikeli ◽

Iris Lewandowski ◽

Petra Högy

Keyword(s):

Aboveground Biomass ◽

Root Biomass ◽

Crop Production ◽

Vegetation Period ◽

Apium Graveolens ◽

Land Productivity ◽

Common Root ◽

Crop Development ◽

On Farm ◽

Organically Managed

Agrivoltaic (AV) systems increase land productivity through the combined production of renewable energy and food. Although several studies have addressed their impact on crop production, many aspects remain unexplored. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of AV on the cultivation of celeriac, a common root vegetable in Central Europe. Celeriac was cultivated in 2017 and 2018 as part of an organically managed on-farm experiment, both underneath an AV system and in full-sun conditions. Under AV, photosynthetic active radiation was reduced by about 30%. Monitoring of crop development showed that in both years, plant height increased significantly under AV. Fresh bulb yield decreased by about 19% in 2017 and increased by about 12% in 2018 in AV, but the changes were not significant. Aboveground biomass increased in both years under AV, but only increased significantly in 2018. As aboveground biomass is a determinant of root biomass at harvest in root vegetables, bulb yields may be further increased by a prolonged vegetation period under AV. Compound analysis of celeriac bulbs did not show any clear effects from treatment. As harvestable yields were not significantly reduced, we concluded that celeriac can be considered a suitable crop for cultivation under AV.

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Biomass allocation in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) plants grown under partial rootzone drying: enhancement of root growth

Functional Plant Biology ◽

10.1071/fp04020 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 31 (10) ◽

pp. 971 ◽

Cited By ~ 84

Author(s):

Darren M. Mingo ◽

Julian C. Theobald ◽

Mark A. Bacon ◽

William J. Davies ◽

Ian C. Dodd

Keyword(s):

Lycopersicon Esculentum ◽

Root System ◽

Biomass Allocation ◽

Root Biomass ◽

Leaf Water ◽

Total Biomass ◽

Split Root ◽

Split Root System ◽

Partial Rootzone Drying ◽

And Control

Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) plants were grown in either a glasshouse (GH) or a controlled environment cabinet (CEC) to assess the effects of partial rootzone drying (PRD) on biomass allocation. Control and PRD plants received the same amounts of water. In control plants, water was equally distributed between two compartments of a split-root system. In PRD plants, only one compartment was watered while the other was allowed to dry. At the end of each drying cycle, wet and dry compartments were alternated. In the GH, total biomass did not differ between PRD and control plants after four cycles of PRD, but PRD increased root biomass by 55% as resources were partitioned away from shoot organs. In the CEC, leaf water potential did not differ between treatments at the end of either of two cycles of PRD, but stomatal conductance of PRD plants was 20% less at the end of the first cycle than at the beginning. After two cycles of PRD in the CEC, biomass did not differ between PRD and control plants, but PRD increased root biomass by 19% over the control plants. The promotion of root biomass in PRD plants was associated with the alternation of wet and dry compartments, with increased root biomass occurring in the re-watered compartment after previous exposure to soil drying. Promotion of root biomass in field-grown PRD plants may allow the root system to access resources (water and nutrients) that would otherwise be unavailable to control plants. This may contribute to the ability of PRD plants to maintain similar leaf water potentials to conventionally irrigated plants, even when smaller irrigation volumes are supplied.

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Biomass of dwarf pine in the Orlické hory Mountains

Beskydy ◽

10.11118/beskyd201205020181 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 5 (2) ◽

pp. 181-186

Author(s):

D. Dušek ◽

J. Novák ◽

D. Kacálek ◽

M. Slodičák

Keyword(s):

Root Biomass ◽

Above Ground Biomass ◽

Main Root ◽

Clear Cut ◽

Ground Biomass ◽

Dry Biomass ◽

Destructive Analysis ◽

Biomass Sample

In order to evaluate weight and nutrients content in dwarf pine biomass, sample trees were taken for destructive analysis in the formerly air-polluted Orlické Hory Mountains. Investigated stand of dwarf pine was planted in 1988–1989 within clear-cut at elevation 1060–1110 m (NW aspect, Sorbeto - Piceetum). Totally 29,000 kg.ha-1 of dry biomass was accumulated in the stand. Above-ground biomass accounts for 27,000 kg (needles 8,000 kg and wood 19,000 kg) and main root biomass represents ca 2,000 kg.ha-1. The biomass of dwarf pine stand contained following amounts of nutrients per hectare: 153 kg of Nitrogen (from this 64 % in needles, 27 % in wood and 8 % in roots), 14.5 kg of Phosphorus (52 % in needles), 46 kg of Potassium (52 % in needles), 22 kg of Calcium (45 % in needles) and 15 kg of Magnesium (40 % in needles and 44 % in wood).

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Two Wheat Cultivars with Contrasting Post-Embryonic Root Biomass Differ in Shoot Re-Growth after Defoliation: Implications for Breeding Grazing Resilient Forages

Plants ◽

10.3390/plants8110470 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 8 (11) ◽

pp. 470

Author(s):

Paez-Garcia ◽

Liao ◽

Blancaflor

Keyword(s):

Winter Wheat ◽

Root Growth ◽

Root System ◽

Aboveground Biomass ◽

Root Traits ◽

Shoot Biomass ◽

Wheat Cultivars ◽

Leaf Clipping ◽

The Impact ◽

Embryonic Root

The ability of forages to quickly resume aboveground growth after grazing is a trait that enables farmers to better manage their livestock for maximum profitability. Leaf removal impairs root growth. As a consequence of a deficient root system, shoot re-growth is inhibited leading to poor pasture performance. Despite the importance of roots for forage productivity, they have not been considered as breeding targets for improving grazing resilience due in large part to the lack of knowledge on the relationship between roots and aboveground biomass re-growth. Winter wheat (Triticum aestivum) is extensively used as forage source in temperate climates worldwide. Here, we investigated the impact of leaf clipping on specific root traits, and how these influence shoot re-growth in two winter wheat cultivars (i.e., Duster and Cheyenne) with contrasting root and shoot biomass. We found that root growth angle and post-embryonic root growth in both cultivars are strongly influenced by defoliation. We discovered that Duster, which had less post-embryonic roots before defoliation, reestablished its root system faster after leaf cutting compared with Cheyenne, which had a more extensive pre-defoliation post-embryonic root system. Rapid resumption of root growth in Duster after leaf clipping was associated with faster aboveground biomass re-growth even after shoot overcutting. Taken together, our results suggest that lower investments in the production of post-embryonic roots presents an important ideotype to consider when breeding for shoot re-growth vigor in dual purpose wheat.

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Tolerance of Swallowworts (Vincetoxicum spp.) to Multiple Years of Artificial Defoliation and Clipping

Invasive Plant Science and Management ◽

10.1614/ipsm-d-15-00042.1 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 1-11 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Lindsey R. Milbrath ◽

Antonio DiTommaso ◽

Jeromy Biazzo ◽

Scott H. Morris

Keyword(s):

North America ◽

Seed Production ◽

Aboveground Biomass ◽

Root Biomass ◽

Plant Competition ◽

Common Garden ◽

Plant Size ◽

Tissue Loss ◽

Defoliation Treatment ◽

Growth And Reproduction

AbstractThe European vines pale swallowwort and black swallowwort are invading various habitats in northeastern North America. It is unclear how these plants might respond to potential biological control agents, as they experience little herbivore damage in North America, or longer durations of mowing given the reported lack of efficacy of mechanical control. We evaluated the effect of six seasons of artificial defoliation (50 or 100% defoliation once or twice per season) and clipping (once, twice, or four times at 8 cm above the soil level) on the survival, growth, and reproduction of mature plants of the two species grown in a common garden field experiment. No plants died from damage after 6 yr. Black swallowwort produced more aboveground biomass, whereas pale swallowwort produced more root biomass and root crown buds, compared with its congener species. For most damage treatments, root biomass and the number of crown buds and stems increased over time, whereas aboveground biomass and viable seeds per plant generally did not change. Substantial overlap in plant size and seed production occurred among damage treatments and species. The most severe defoliation treatment did not substantially limit growth and reproduction compared with undamaged plants. While two clippings per season sometimes prevented seed production, four clippings per season was the only type of damage that consistently prevented plant growth and eliminated seed production. Pale and black swallowwort display a high tolerance to aboveground tissue loss in high-light environments without plant competition. The annual increase in plant size calls into question the potential efficacy of a defoliating insect against field populations of swallowworts, and it seems likely the only benefits of a long-term mowing regime will be to eliminate seed production.

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Barley shoot biomass responds strongly to N:P stoichiometry and intraspecific competition, whereas roots only alter their foraging

Plant and Soil ◽

10.1007/s11104-020-04626-w ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 453 (1-2) ◽

pp. 515-528 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Amit Kumar ◽

Richard van Duijnen ◽

Benjamin M. Delory ◽

Rüdiger Reichel ◽

Nicolas Brüggemann ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Root System ◽

Intraspecific Competition ◽

Root Length ◽

Root Biomass ◽

Specific Root Length ◽

Plant Performance ◽

Shoot Biomass ◽

P Availability ◽

Soil Layers ◽

N:P Stoichiometry

Abstract Aims Root system responses to the limitation of either nitrogen (N) or phosphorus (P) are well documented, but how the early root system responds to (co-) limitation of one (N or P) or both in a stoichiometric framework is not well-known. In addition, how intraspecific competition alters plant responses to N:P stoichiometry is understudied. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the effects of N:P stoichiometry and competition on root system responses and overall plant performance. Methods Plants (Hordeum vulgare L.) were grown in rhizoboxes for 24 days in the presence or absence of competition (three vs. one plant per rhizobox), and fertilized with different combinations of N:P (low N + low P, low N + high P, high N + low P, and high N + high P). Results Shoot biomass was highest when both N and P were provided in high amounts. In competition, shoot biomass decreased on average by 22%. Total root biomass (per plant) was not affected by N:P stoichiometry and competition but differences were observed in specific root length and root biomass allocation across soil depths. Specific root length depended on the identity of limiting nutrient (N or P) and competition. Plants had higher proportion of root biomass in deeper soil layers under N limitation, while a greater proportion of root biomass was found at the top soil layers under P limitation. Conclusions With low N and P availability during early growth, higher investments in root system development can significantly trade off with aboveground productivity, and strong intraspecific competition can further strengthen such effects.

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Estimating Grassland Parameters from Sentinel-2: A Model Comparison Study

PFG – Journal of Photogrammetry Remote Sensing and Geoinformation Science ◽

10.1007/s41064-020-00120-1 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 88 (5) ◽

pp. 379-390

Author(s):

M. Schwieder ◽

M. Buddeberg ◽

K. Kowalski ◽

K. Pfoch ◽

J. Bartsch ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Spatial Patterns ◽

Empirical Model ◽

Aboveground Biomass ◽

Ecosystem Functions ◽

Radiative Transfer Model ◽

Transfer Model ◽

Validation Data ◽

Area Index ◽

Dry Biomass ◽

Sentinel 2

Abstract Grassland plays an important role in German agriculture. The interplay of ecological processes in grasslands secures important ecosystem functions and, thus, ultimately contributes to essential ecosystem services. To sustain, e.g., the provision of fodder or the filter function of soils, agricultural management needs to adapt to site-specific grassland characteristics. Spatially explicit information derived from remote sensing data has been proven instrumental for achieving this. In this study, we analyze the potential of Sentinel-2 data for deriving grassland-relevant parameters. We compare two well-established methods to calculate the aboveground biomass and leaf area index (LAI), first using a random forest regression and second using the soil–leaf-canopy (SLC) radiative transfer model. Field data were recorded on a grassland area in Brandenburg in August 2019, and were used to train the empirical model and to validate both models. Results confirm that both methods are suitable for mapping the spatial distribution of LAI and for quantifying aboveground biomass. Uncertainties generally increased with higher biomass and LAI values in the empirical model and varied on average by a relative RMSE of 11% for modeling of dry biomass and a relative RMSE of 23% for LAI. Similar estimates were achieved using SLC with a relative RMSE of 30% for LAI retrieval, and a relative RMSE of 47% for the estimation of dry biomass. Resulting maps from both approaches showed comprehensible spatial patterns of LAI and dry biomass distributions. Despite variations in the value ranges of both maps, the average estimates and spatial patterns of LAI and dry biomass were very similar. Based on the results of the two compared modeling approaches and the comparison to the validation data, we conclude that the relationship between Sentinel-2 spectra and grassland-relevant variables can be quantified to map their spatial distributions from space. Future research needs to investigate how similar approaches perform across different grassland types, seasons and grassland management regimes.

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Belowground to aboveground biomass ratio and vertical root distribution responses of mature Pinus radiata stands to phosphorus fertilization at planting

Canadian Journal of Forest Research ◽

10.1139/x04-069 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 34 (9) ◽

pp. 1883-1894 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

Ayalsew Zerihun ◽

Kelvin D Montagu

Keyword(s):

Pinus Radiata ◽

Aboveground Biomass ◽

Root Distribution ◽

Root Biomass ◽

Phosphorus Fertilization ◽

P Fertilization ◽

Coarse Roots ◽

Vertical Root Distribution ◽

Allometric Relations ◽

P Supply

We compared the belowground biomass (BGB)/aboveground biomass (AGB) ratio and the vertical root distribution of 40-year-old Pinus radiata D. Don fertilized with 0 or 90 kg P·ha1 at planting. Root biomass was determined by a combination of coring (fine roots, ϕ < 2 mm; small roots, 2 ≤ ϕ < 15 mm) and excavation (coarse roots, ϕ ≥ 5 mm). Stand-level AGB and coarse root biomass (CRB) were estimated with the use of allometric relations. After 40 years, AGB and CRB of P-fertilized trees were 4.5 times those of unfertilized trees, indicating that CRB scaled isometrically with AGB independently of P supply. By contrast, P fertilization increased the fine and small root biomass (FSRB) pool by only 50%. As a result, the scaling of FSRB to AGB was dependent on P supply. The differential response of the FSRB to P fertilization caused the overall BGB/AGB ratio to decrease from 0.29 in control plots to 0.20 in P-fertilized plots. Phosphorus fertilization also altered the vertical distribution of fine root biomass (FRB). For example, the proportion of FRB in the top 15 cm increased from 41% to 52% with P fertilization. Collectively, the results showed that P added early in the growth phase had a persistent effect on the BGB/AGB ratio in P. radiata. This was primarily brought about by altered biomass partitioning to the nutrient-acquiring FSRB pool.

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Effects of environment on quality of tomato transplanting plants

Anais da Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz ◽

10.1590/s0071-12761981000100010 ◽

1981 ◽

Vol 38 (1) ◽

pp. 113-120

Author(s):

Keigo Minami ◽

Antonio Augusto Lucchesi ◽

Ricardo Victoria Filho

Keyword(s):

Root System ◽

N Fertilization

In order to study the effects of shading and unshading combined with N fertilizing on tomato transplanting plants, an experiment in greenhouse conditions was carried on. It was concluded that N is important to produce healthy and strong plants. Under shading plus N fertilization, plants are taller and have high nitrate contents, while under unshading plus N fertilization, plants have higher diameter and more developed root system.

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