Effects of Compaction, Depth of Planting, and Soil Moisture Tension on Seedling Emergence of Alfalfa 1

1960 ◽  
Vol 52 (12) ◽  
pp. 678-684 ◽  
Author(s):  
Glover B. Triplett ◽  
Milo B. Tesar
1990 ◽  
Vol 115 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. E. Finch-Savage ◽  
W. G. Pill

SUMMARYIn studies of carrots sown on three dates at Wellesbourne in 1986, mean time to seedling emergence and spread of times to seedling emergence of untreated and fluid-drilled seeds increased as seed-bed moisture at sowing decreased. These differences were not observed with irrigation before sowing.Osmotic priming increased the percentage of seeds with emerged radicles at the time of fluid drilling from 17% in the untreated control to 56%. Irrespective of seed-bed moisture, time to emergence was shorter from primed germinating seeds than from germinating seeds, both treatments giving earlier seedling emergence than untreated seeds. Seedling shoot weight was greater from treated than from untreated seeds.Seed-bed characteristics on unirrigated plots had no effect on seedling emergence when soil moisture was adequate but, where soil moisture was limiting, rolling the seed bed to increase capillarity resulted in 79% emergence compared with the 67% average from seed beds that were not rolled. Application of a soil conditioner to stabilize the seed-bed surface structure generally improved emergence when rain fell soon after sowing. The results suggested that a combination of seed-bed and seed treatments can significantly improve the predictability of crop establishment of carrots on different dates.


2003 ◽  
Vol 33 (5) ◽  
pp. 931-945 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle de Chantal ◽  
Kari Leinonen ◽  
Hannu Ilvesniemi ◽  
Carl Johan Westman

The aim of this study is to determine the effect of site preparation on soil properties and, in turn, the emergence, mortality, and establishment of Pinus sylvestris L. (Scots pine) and Picea abies (L.) Karst. (Norway spruce) seedlings sown in spring and summer along a slope with variation in soil texture and moisture. Three site preparation treatments of varying intensities were studied: exposed C horizon, mound (broken L–F–H–Ae–B horizons piled over undisturbed ground), and exposed Ae–B horizons. Seedling emergence was higher in the moist growing season than in the dry one. During a dry growing season, mounds and exposed C horizon had negative effects on soil moisture that increased mortality. Moreover, frost heaving was an important cause of winter mortality on mounds and exposed C horizon, whereas frost heaving was low on exposed Ae–B horizons, even though soil moisture and the content of fine soil particles (<0.06 mm) were high. Frost heaving mortality was higher for summer-sown than for spring-sown seedlings and for P. abies than for P. sylvestris. Growing season mortality was high following a winter with frost heaving, suggesting that roots were damaged, thereby making seedlings more susceptible to desiccation.


2002 ◽  
Vol 82 (4) ◽  
pp. 855-859 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. L. Leblanc ◽  
D. C. Cloutier ◽  
C. Hamel

A 2-year field study was conducted in corn to determine the influence of rainfall, irrigation and soil water content on common lambsquarters and barnyardgrass emergence. Rainfall or irrigation had no influence on the final weed density and little on the pattern of weed emergence because the soil water content was at or greater than field capacity during the main weed emergence period. Irrigation may hasten the first weed emergence by warming the soil when temperature is limiting for germination. In southwestern Quebec, temperature appears to be the most important factor regulating germination in the spring since soil moisture is normally at field capacity for a long period, in part because of the melting of snow. Key words: Irrigation, weed emergence, soil moisture


1995 ◽  
Vol 25 (10) ◽  
pp. 1639-1651 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sybille Haeussler ◽  
John C. Tappeiner II ◽  
Brian J. Greber

Effects of forest disturbance and soil moisture levels on establishment of red alder (Alnusrubra Bong.) seedlings were studied at four sites representing a climatic moisture gradient within the central Coast Range of Oregon. On average, there was no difference in seedling emergence between recent clearcuts and second-growth forests, but emergence was much higher on mineral soil than on organic seedbeds. Emergence, on both types of seedbed, was positively correlated with spring soil moisture conditions (R2 = 0.60). Seedling survival, on the other hand, differed greatly between clearcut and forest. In clearcuts, heat and drought injuries were the primary causes of seedling mortality. In the forest, seedlings had poor vigour and quickly succumbed to pathogens, herbivores, and rain splash. First-year survival rates were strongly correlated with minimum summer soil moisture levels (R2 = 0.71). Height growth of seedlings on clearcuts (2–5 cm after 1 year; 8–23 cm after 2 years) was much slower than rates typically described for red alder. Best establishment occurred on skid trails and landings, suggesting that young seedlings may suffer less from heat or moisture stress on these heavily disturbed microenvironments.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (18) ◽  
pp. 7573
Author(s):  
Ling Li ◽  
Hongguang Liu ◽  
Xinlin He ◽  
En Lin ◽  
Guang Yang

Winter irrigation affected the movement of soil moisture, temperature, and salt, which was an effective improvement measure widely used in seasonal freeze–thaw areas. In this paper, we investigated the effects of different salinized cotton fields (mild salinization (S1), 5.15 g·kg−1; moderate salinization (S2), 8.17 g·kg−1; severe salinization (S3), 11.15 g·kg−1) and different winter irrigation rates (W0, 0 m3·hm-2; W1, 3000 m3·hm-2; W2, 3600 m3·hm-2; W3, 4200 m3·hm-2) on soil moisture, temperature, salinity, and cotton growth in seasonal freeze–thaw areas. The results showed that the winter irrigation affected the temporal and spatial dynamics of soil moisture, temperature, and salinity, and the winter irrigation rate and degree of soil salinization were significantly correlated with soil moisture, temperature, and salinity (p < 0.01). Winter irrigation stabilized the soil temperature and reduced the freeze–thaw index of the soil. The heat conservation effect of winter irrigation increased with increasing winter irrigation rate and salinization degree, with the greatest effect on the freezing index of S2 and on the thawing index of S3. The soil water content and total salt concentration before spring tillage were significantly correlated with winter irrigation rate and degree of soil salinization (p < 0.05), and when the winter irrigation quota of different salinized cotton fields was greater than 3600 m3·hm-2, the moisture content of soil layer 0–100cm increased by more than 20%, and the desalination reached over 40%, compared with the values before winter irrigation. Winter irrigation improved the emergence rate and yield of cotton, with the soil salinization degree being significantly negatively correlated and winter irrigation rate significantly positively correlated with the emergence rate and yield of cotton fields in the following year (p < 0.01). Compared with the control treatment without winter irrigation, the average increases in cotton yield were W3 (53.32%) > W2 (45.00%) > W1 (29.36%). There was no significant difference in seedling emergence rate or yield between slightly and moderately salinized cotton fields under high winter irrigation rates (W2 and W3) (p > 0.05), although the seedling emergence rate and yield of severely salinized cotton fields increased significantly with increasing winter irrigation rate. In conclusion, winter irrigation proved to be a valuable treatment for severely salinized cotton fields, and the results of this study allowed us to determine the optimal winter irrigation rate for saline alkali cotton fields.


2010 ◽  
Vol 56 (No. 4) ◽  
pp. 186-193
Author(s):  
X. Zhou ◽  
Y. Yan ◽  
Ch. Wan ◽  
H. Wang ◽  
L. Wu ◽  
...  

A field study was conducted to study the effectiveness of film-bottomed treatment (FBT) on the seed germination and seedling establishment of <I>Caragana korshinskii</I> Kom. in the arid Hexi Corridor of northwestern China in 2007 and 2008. The experiment involved three different depths of film-bottomed treatments (DFBT) (80, 90 and 100 cm) and a control with twelve replications in each treatment. Soil moisture, seedling emergence percentage, leaf characteristics, shoot height, main root length, basal diameter, biomass, biomass allocation, as well as root system distribution, were studied and were found to be significantly higher with FBT in respect to the check (CK) values. Soil moisture content increased with depths of film-bottomed treatments. Our study demonstrates that <I>C. korshinskii</I> can be grown successfully using FBT in arid areas and 90 cm DFBT gives the maximum growth-promoting effect.


1986 ◽  
Vol 107 (2) ◽  
pp. 249-256 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. E. Finch-Savage

SummaryThe emergence of seedlings from natural, germinating and selected uniformlygerminated onion seeds was compared in a range of changing patterns of soil moisture. The timing, spread and amount of seedling emergence from seeds in all three treatments were affected by the timing of water availability in the seed bed and these effects differed between treatments.The rate of seedling emergence in all three treatments under non-limiting soil moisture conditions was correlated with mean temperature, but this relationship was obscured in irrigation treatments where water stress occurred. However, if the seed bed was moist at sowing irrespective of subsequent moisture stress the reciprocals of the time to the start, time to 50% and time to the end of seedling emergence from uniformly germinated seeds were correlated with mean temperature (r > 0·87, D.F. 27).The results show that if the seed bed is irrigated prior to sowing and soil moisture is maintained during the first 3 days following sowing high levels of seedling emergence with both predictable timing and uniformity can be achieved by sowing uniformlygerminated seeds. Seedling emergence from natural and germinating seeds was much less predictable.


2000 ◽  
Vol 40 (6) ◽  
pp. 843 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. S. Day

Poor and uneven emergence of seedlings decreases the efficiency of sesame (Sesamum indicum) seed production. In a glasshouse study, seedling emergence was reduced by low soil moisture content (less than 20%, w/v) and by waterlogging (common in soils with small soil particles). Watering events that failed to raise soil moisture content above 20% caused most seeds to germinate (more than than 80%), but only some of these seeds emerged from the soil (less than 50%). Gibberellic acid pre-treatment of seeds (50 or 1000 mg/L) failed to improve emergence of seeds from soils with an initial soil moisture content less than 20%. This result supports previous reports suggesting that gibberellic acid treatment does not influence seedling emergence, and may only be useful to overcome seed dormancy in those sesame varieties where dormancy is a problem. For maximum emergence it is recommended that sesame seeds be sown in non-waterlogged soils and that soil moisture content be maintained above 20% for a number of days after sowing.


2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
John M. Wallace ◽  
Pamela L. S. Pavek ◽  
Timothy S. Prather

AbstractVentenata dubia is an exotic winter annual grass that has invaded Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) lands, improved pastures, intensively managed hay fields, and rangelands within the Intermountain Pacific Northwest (PNW). Currently, producers are attempting to develop V. dubia management strategies with little knowledge of its life history traits. We conducted several studies to characterize V. dubia life history patterns. Preliminary germination trials were completed to describe primary and secondary dormancy characteristics. Field studies were conducted to evaluate (1) seed bank persistence patterns, (2) seedling emergence patterns under V. dubia litter, and (3) seedling emergence and phenological development patterns within timothy hay, CRP, and rangeland habitats. Preliminary germination trials suggest that the after-ripening period required for loss of dormancy does not exceed 30 d and that dormancy breakdown peaks at approximately 90 d, after which germination occurs over a wide range of temperatures (9 to 29 C). A small fraction (< 1%) of the seed bank remained germinable up to 3 yr after burial at 2 cm depth in a grassland habitat. Seedling emergence and survival was significantly greater under high V. dubia litter layers (100% cover) compared with bare surface during the drier study year because of higher soil moisture levels maintained under litter. Across habitat types, mean seedling emergence (50% of total) occurred between 33 and 94 growing degree days (GDD) after soil moisture rose above the permanent wilting point in the fall. Seedling emergence periodicity varied among habitat types in relation to spring seedling emergence, ranging from 0 to 13% of total emergence per year. Phenological development differed across sites and years by up to several hundred GDDs but was closely aligned to Julian days. This collection of studies improves our understanding of V. dubia life history traits and will aid integrated weed management strategies in the Intermountain PNW.


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