The control of seed germination by moisture as a soil physical property

1959 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 628 ◽  
Author(s):  
N Collis-George ◽  
JE Sands
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Hydraulic Conductivity ◽  
Moisture Content ◽  
Germination Rate ◽  
Physical Property ◽  
Field Capacity ◽  
Moisture Regime ◽  
Soil Physics ◽  
Moisture Condition ◽  
Moisture Conditions

The germination (i.e. the first emergence of the radicle) of Medicago denticulata Willd., M. confinis Koch, M. tribuloides Desr., and Juncus vaginatus R. Br. under controlled moisture conditions has been examined. Moisture regime was defined by the soil moisture suction (pF). The influences of temperature and light, which would otherwise obscure the importance of soil moisture, have been minimized by comparing the number of seeds germinated under each physical regime with the maximum number germinated for each species under identical physical conditions when suction was approximately zero (i.e. standard cotton wool germination count procedure). The differing water regimes were obtained by using methods common in soil physics – the tension plate and pressure membrane methods – the seeds being in contact with the plate or membrane kept at a constant water suction. Additionally, two soil media, were used with the Medicago spp. It was found that: For all species an increase in suction produced a decrease in rate of germination until at 10 atm, germination practically ceased. Medicago spp. showed a smaller decline in rate as suction increased than did J. vaginatus. The moisture conditions to allow J. vaginatus to germinate at rates comparable with those for the Medicago spp. were quite restricted and corresponded to high water-tables or soils wetter than field capacity. The moisture condition of the soils controlled the germination rate not only by means of the suction effect, but also in terms of hydraulic conductivity (or permeability). A drier soil having less ability to transmit water than a wetter soil reduced the rate at which water could reach the seed, with a consequent decline in the germination rate. As the relationships between: (a) moisture content and suction, and (b) moisture content and hydraulic conductivity, are soil characteristics, it is necessary to define the soil moisture characteristic as well as moisture content in germination experiments.

Water-Fertilizer Coupling Effects and Efficient Utilization under Peanut-Millet Interplanting Conditions

2013 ◽  
Vol 742 ◽  
pp. 272-277
Author(s):  
Liang Shan Feng ◽  
Zhan Xiang Sun ◽  
Jia Ming Zheng
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Moisture Content ◽  
Soil Moisture Content ◽  
Coupling Effect ◽  
Field Capacity ◽  
Nitrogen And Phosphorus ◽  
Application Rates ◽  
Optimal Value ◽  
Factor Interactions ◽  
Nitrogen Phosphorus

In this study, the results showed that water is the most important factor to affect crop yields and optimum soil moisture is lower under the conditions of peanut-and-millet interplanting. Thus, peanut-and-millet interplanting is generally able to fit most of the semi-arid region. In the interaction of various factors, the coupling effect of water and phosphorus was stronger than the coupling effect of fertilizers, following by the coupling effect of water and nitrogen. Among peanuts factors of water, nitrogen, and multi-factorial interaction of water, nitrogen, and phosphorus, water and nitrogen showed a negative effect, whereas the two-factor interactions had a positive effect. There were some differences between peanut and millet in the need for water and fertilizer, in which peanut required more nitrogen and millet needed slightly higher soil moisture and phosphorus. When other factors were in rich level, both of the optimal value for single factors of water, nitrogen, and phosphorus and the optimal value for two-factor interactions of water-nitrogen, water-phosphorus, and nitrogen-phosphorus, were higher than the optimal value for the interaction of water, nitrogen, and phosphorus. The tiny demand difference on moisture in peanut-millet interplanting could be compromised by configuring a reasonable interplanting population structure and the corresponding demand difference on fertilizer could be resolved by uneven crop planting strips. Under the condition of water-nitrogen-phosphorus interaction, the soil moisture content optimal for peanut accounted for 57.3% of the field capacity, and the related appropriate application rates of nitrogen and phosphorus were 0.98 g/pot (81.18 kg/hm2) and 0.39g/pot (32.18 kg/hm2), respectively. Likewise, the soil moisture content optimal for millet was 59.1% of the field capacity, and the counterpart appropriate application rates of nitrogen and phosphorus were 0.57 g/pot (47.03 kg/hm2) and 0.45g / pot (37.13 kg/hm2), respectively.

scholarly journals Effect of soil moisture condition on the conversion rate of oxamyl.

1979 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 191-198
Author(s):  
J.H. Smelt ◽  
A. Dekker ◽  
M. Leistra
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Moisture Content ◽  
Conversion Rate ◽  
Soil Moisture Content ◽  
Loamy Sand ◽  
Clay Loam ◽  
Moisture Condition ◽  
Soil Moisture Condition ◽  
Incubation Experiments ◽  
Wilting Point

The decomposition of oxamyl in four soils under moist conditions was measured in incubation experiments at 15 deg C. Half-lives of oxamyl in soils with moisture tensions of approx. -9.8 X 103 Pa were 13 days in a clay loam, 14 days in a loamy sand, 34 days in a peaty sand and 39 days in a humic loamy sand. The rate of oxamyl decomposition in the clay loam decreased with decreasing soil moisture content down to values for below wilting point. Oxamyl decomposition in the humic loamy sand decreased with decreasing soil moisture content, but increased sharply in the very dry range. (Abstract retrieved from CAB Abstracts by CABI’s permission)

scholarly journals Spatial and temporal variation of methane emissions in drained eutrophic peat agro-ecosystems: drainage ditches as emission hotspots

2008 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 1237-1261 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. P. Schrier-Uijl ◽  
E. M. Veenendaal ◽  
P. A. Leffelaar ◽  
J. C. van Huissteden ◽  
F. Berendse
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Moisture Content ◽  
Water Table ◽  
Soil Moisture Content ◽  
Explanatory Variable ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Variation ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Variability ◽  
Ch4 Emissions ◽  
Intensively Managed ◽  
Moisture Conditions

Abstract. Our research investigates the spatial and temporal variability of methane (CH4) emissions in two drained eutrophic peat areas (one intensively managed and the other less intensively managed) and the correlation between CH4 emissions and soil temperature, air temperature, soil moisture content and water table. We stratified the landscape into landscape elements that represent different conditions in terms of topography and therefore differ in moisture conditions. There was great spatial variability in the fluxes in both areas; the ditches and ditch edges (together 27% of the landscape) were methane hotspots whereas the dry fields had the smallest fluxes. In the intensively managed site the fluxes were significantly higher by comparison with the less intensively managed site. In all the landscape element elements the best explanatory variable for CH4 emission was temperature. Neither soil moisture content nor water table correlated significantly with CH4 emissions, except in April, where soil moisture was the best explanatory variable.

TIME OF SAMPLING AFTER AN IRRIGATION TO DETERMINE FIELD CAPACITY OF SOIL

1965 ◽  
Vol 45 (2) ◽  
pp. 171-176 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. C. Wilcox
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Moisture Content ◽  
Soil Texture ◽  
Soil Moisture Content ◽  
Field Capacity ◽  
Percentage Error ◽  
High Positive Correlation ◽  
Positive Correlation

Drainage curves following irrigation were determined at six depths in eight soils having unrestricted drainage but varying widely in soil texture. The field capacities were determined under relatively high rates of evapotranspiration. The time after irrigation that it was necessary to wait before sampling the soil, to determine field capacity, was also determined. A high positive correlation was obtained between the log of field capacity in inches and the log of time after irrigation at which to sample the soil. The time varied from about 0.5 day with 1.5 in. field capacity to 4.0 days with 35 in. From the curves of soil moisture content versus time, the errors caused by sampling too soon or too late were determined. The percentage error (i.e. percent of field capacity) increased with an increase in the error in time of sampling; it decreased with an increase in field capacity in inches; and it was greater when sampling was too soon than when it was too late.

scholarly journals Root Regeneration of Fall-Lifted White Spruce Nursery Stock in Relation to Soil Moisture Content

1975 ◽  
Vol 51 (5) ◽  
pp. 196-199 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. J. Day ◽  
G. R. MacGillivray
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Moisture Content ◽  
Root Elongation ◽  
Soil Moisture Content ◽  
Field Capacity ◽  
White Spruce ◽  
Moisture Stress ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Root Regeneration ◽  
Nursery Stock

The root regenerating potential of fall-lifted 2+0 white spruce nursery stock is described after transplanting into soil-maintained at 8, 10 and 15% soil moisture content (SMC) in glass fronted root boxes. At 15% SMC (0.1 bar soil moisture tension), which is close to field capacity, root regeneration began 10 days after transplanting and root elongation continued at a high rate for the remainder of a 40-day study period. At 10% SMC (0.6 bar SMT) root regeneration was delayed until 20 days after transplanting and root elongation was at a slower rate. At 8% SMC (1.5 bars) root regeneration and elongation was negligible. Plant moisture stress measured at 40 days was least when root regeneration was most and vice versa. The results suggest that field planting of white spruce in soils with moisture tensions of over 0.6 bar will be hazardous.

Evaluation of the magnetite as a magnetic tracer of eroded sediment from ephemeral gullies: conditioning factors of magnetic susceptibility

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Zubieta ◽  
Juan Larrasoaña ◽  
Rafael Giménez ◽  
Alaitz Aldaz ◽  
Javier Casalí
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Susceptibility ◽  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Moisture Content ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Field Capacity ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Silty Clay ◽  
Magnetic Signal ◽  
Conditioning Factors ◽  
Detection Depth

<p>In gully erosion, the soil detached by the action of the erosive flow can be transported over long distances along the drainage network of the watershed. In this long way, the eroded material can be redistributed and/or deposited on the soil surface, and then eventually buried by eroded material from subsequent erosion events. Likewise, the variability of the soil (i.e., in texture and moisture content) over which this material moves can be considerable. The presence of the eroded material could be detected through magnetic tracers attached/mixed with the eroded soil. In this experiment, the degree to which the magnetic signal of the magnetite is conditioned by (i) the burying tracer depth, (ii) the texture and moisture content of the soil covering the tracer and (iii) the tracer concentration was evaluated.</p><p>The study was carried out in the lab in different containers (0.5 x 0.5 x 0.3 m<sup>3</sup>). Each container was filled with a given soil. In the filling process, a 0.5-cm layer of a soil-magnetite mixture of a certain concentration was interspersed in the soil profile at a certain depth. Overall, 3 different soil:tracer concentrations (1000:1, 200:1, 100:1), 4 tracer burying depths (0 cm, 3 cm, 5 cm and 10 cm from soil surface), and  2 contrasting soils (silty clay and sandy clay loam) were used. In each case, the magnetic susceptibility was measured with a magnetometer (MS3 by Bartington Instruments). Experiments were repeated with different soil moisture contents (from field capacity to dry soil).</p><p>If the tracer is located under the soil surface a minimum soil:tracer concentration of 200:1 is required for its correct  detection from the surface using a magnetometer. The intensity of the magnetic signal decreases dramatically with the vertical distance  of the tracer from the soil  surface (burying depth). The maximum detection depth of the tracer magnetic signal is strongly dependent on the natural magnetic susceptibility of the soil which hides the own tracer signal. Variation in soil moisture content does not significantly affect the magnetic signal. For extensive field studies the soil-tracer volume to be handled would be very high. Therefore, it is necessary to explore new tracer application techniques.</p>

Soil moisture conditions affect the sensitivity ofBromus catharticusdormant seeds to light and the emergence pattern of seedlings

2009 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 81-89 ◽  
Author(s):  
Federico P.O. Mollard ◽  
Pedro Insausti
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Red Light ◽  
Soil Drought ◽  
Moisture Regime ◽  
Emergence Pattern ◽  
Light Pulses ◽  
Soil Moisture Regime ◽  
Moisture Regimes ◽  
Summer Temperatures ◽  
Moisture Conditions

AbstractThe soil moisture regime may affect dormancy of seeds and their sensitivity to signals that promote germination. We studied the effect of moisture regime on the sensitivity to light of dormantBromus catharticusseeds, and on the emergence pattern of seedlings. Seeds were incubated under continuously hydrated, continuously dehydrated, or fluctuating moisture regimes in a controlled environment (25°C, darkness) for 2 months. After moisture treatments, seeds were exposed to red or far-red light pulses, or to darkness, to determine germinability. In addition, grassland mesocosms with intact seed bank and vegetation were irrigated or subjected to a drought regime in a glasshouse at summer temperatures. After 2 months, the temperature was reduced to correspond to grassland temperatures in autumn; the canopy was removed and half of the mesocosms were covered with filters that exclude red light. Density ofB. catharticusseedlings was evaluated after 2 weeks. Dormancy decreased in continuously hydrated seeds but they still required red light for germination. In contrast, an important fraction of seeds that experienced continuously dehydrated or fluctuating moisture regimes germinated in darkness or after far-red light pulses. In the mesocosms that had experienced a soil drought, a higher density of seedlings emerged in the absence of red light than in the daily irrigated mesocosms. This indicates that a fraction ofB. catharticusseeds acquired the capability to germinate under the canopy, especially in the drought moisture regime. Results indicate that the soil moisture environment experienced during dormancy affects the sensitivity to light ofB. catharticusseeds, as well as the emergence pattern of seedlings.

EFFECTS OF IRRIGATION AND NITROGEN ON A NATURAL PASTURE SWARD

1978 ◽  
Vol 58 (2) ◽  
pp. 347-356
Author(s):  
W. N. BLACK
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Moisture Content ◽  
Soil Moisture Content ◽  
Sandy Loam ◽  
Field Capacity ◽  
Early Spring ◽  
Naturally Occurring ◽  
Natural Pasture ◽  
Loam Soil ◽  
Grazing Period

Irrigation and nitrogen (N) requirements of a natural pasture sward were studied on a Charlottetown sandy loam soil over a 5-yr period. The soil moisture content at the 0-to 15- and 15- to 30-cm depths was determined at from 7- to 10-day intervals, while irrometer soil moisture readings at 15-, 30-, and 45-cm depths were recorded more frequently during the grazing seasons. Soil moisture content in irrigated plots averaged 92 and 94% of field capacity, respectively, at 0- to 15- and 15- to 30-cm sampling depths. In non-irrigated plots, corresponding values were 77 and 82%. N treatments resulted in significant dry matter (DM) increases over untreated plots. Yield differences among plots receiving 56, 84, and 112 kg of N/ha in mid-June and again in mid-August were not significant. Early spring and September applications of N at 56 kg/ha, combined with mid-June and early August supplements of N at 84 kg/ha were superior to all other treatments in prolonging the grazing period. Neither irrigation nor N affected the characteristic yield decline of naturally occurring forage species in mid- and late-season. Mean DM production for the 5-yr period, and for years, showed no significant N treatment × moisture level interaction. While irrigation failed to increase yields significantly, livestock preferred to graze the irrigated plots. As a result of less competition from grasses, volunteer white clover became better established, and constituted a larger percentage of the sward than on non-irrigated plots.

EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT SOIL MOISTURE TENSIONS ON FLAX AND CEREALS

1966 ◽  
Vol 46 (3) ◽  
pp. 213-216 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. J. Bourget ◽  
B. J. Finn ◽  
B. K. Dow
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Moisture Content ◽  
Winter Wheat ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Spring Wheat ◽  
Soil Moisture Content ◽  
Near Field ◽  
Correlation Coefficients ◽  
Field Capacity

Young seedlings of flax and cereals, grown in a greenhouse, were subjected to 0, 12.5, and 25.0 cm of soil moisture tension for periods of 7, 14, and 21 days The grain, straw, and root yields of all plant species, except barky, increased with increasing soil moisture content was maintained near field capacity during the growth of plants. The yields of oats, winter wheat, and fall rye decreased with increasing duration of flooding, whereas those of barley, flax and spring wheat were variable. Correlation coefficients between yields of tops and roots were positive.

scholarly journals Effects of soil‐moisture content on shallow‐seismic data

Geophysics ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 63 (4) ◽  
pp. 1357-1362 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert D. Jefferson ◽  
Don W. Steeples ◽  
Ross A. Black ◽  
Tim Carr
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Moisture Content ◽  
Seismic Data ◽  
Soil Moisture Content ◽  
Soil Conditions ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Surface Moisture ◽  
Shallow Seismic ◽  
Unconsolidated Material ◽  
Moisture Conditions

Repeated shallow‐seismic experiments were conducted at a site on days with different near‐surface moisture conditions in unconsolidated material. Experimental field parameters remained constant to ensure comparability of results. Variations in the seismic data are attributed to the changes in soil‐moisture content of the unconsolidated material. Higher amplitudes of reflections and refractions were obtained under wetter near‐surface conditions. An increase in amplitude of 21 dB in the 100–300 Hz frequency range was observed when the moisture content increased from 18% to 36% in the upper 0.15 m (0.5 ft) of the subsurface. In the time‐domain records, highly saturated soil conditions caused large‐amplitude ringy wavelets that interfered with and degraded the appearance of some of the reflection information in the raw field data. This may indicate that an intermediate near‐surface moisture content is most conducive to the recording of high‐quality shallow‐seismic reflection data at this site. This study illustrates the drastic changes that can occur in shallow‐seismic data due to variations in near‐surface moisture conditions. These conditions may need to be considered to optimize the acquisition timing and parameters prior to collection of data.

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