scholarly journals Rooting Depth, Growth and Yield of Corn as Affected by Soil Water Availability in an Ultisol and an Oxisol

Author(s):  
A. Wahab ◽  
H. Talleyrand ◽  
M. A. Lugo-López

Relationships between rooting depth, growth, and yields of corn and soil water availability in an Ultisol and an Oxisol are presented. Soil and crop management techniques considered to be adequate for maximum yield were used at the two experimental sites. At each site one treatment was irrigated as often as necessary to maintain a water tension of less than 1 bar. Soil properties, plant growth, effective rooting depth, soil water availability, plant water deficits, crop yields, and weather conditions were recorded. During a prolonged drought and at grain filling, corn growing in a typical Oxisol extracted soil water to a depth of 120 cm, and plants became water stressed after a soil water tension of 15 bars developed at 90 cm. In a typical Ultisol plants could not extract water effectively below 30 cm. Plants grew better in the Oxisol than in the Ultisol. Grain yields approached 9.4 tons/ha in the former but only 3.1 tons/ha in the latter.

Author(s):  
A. Wahab ◽  
H. Talleyrand ◽  
M. A. Lugo-López

Grain and stover yields of RS 671 grain sorghum were measured at Barranquitas in an Oxisol and at Corozal in an Ultisol. Measurements were made of weather factors, soil moisture content and tension, plant growth, water deficits and rooting depths. At each site a plot was irrigated as often as necessary to maintain a soil water tension of less than 1 bar. Nonirrigated plots at Corozal were watered whenever necessary to prevent plants from wilting permanently. During a prolonged drought and at grain filling, sorghum extracted water in the Oxisol to a depth of 120 cm. Plants became water stressed after the soil water tension at a depth of 90 cm reached 15 bars. In the Ultisol, sorghum plants were unable to effectively extract available soil moisture at depths below 45 cm. Both plant growth and grain yield were greater in the Oxisol than in the Ultisol. The relative soil compaction of the Ultisol was greater than that of the Oxisol.


Author(s):  
Adriano B. Pacheco ◽  
Tonny J. A. da Silva ◽  
Edna M. Bonfim-Silva ◽  
Hamilton A. W. Castro ◽  
Marcio Koetz

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to evaluate the yield and water use of cherry tomatoes under soil water availability and potassium (K) doses in a greenhouse. The experiment was conducted in randomized blocks in a 52 fractional factorial design, corresponding to five levels of water availability and five K doses, with 13 combinations (4-0; 4-250; 4-500; 14-125; 14-375; 24-0; 24-250; 24-500; 34-125; 34-375; 44-0; 44-250; 44-500) (kPa-mg dm-3) and four replicates. A drip irrigation system with semi-automated irrigation control was used. The analyzed variables were shoot dry matter, number of fruits, yield, water consumption and water use efficiency. Highest cherry tomato yield occurs at soil water tension of 24 kPa and K dose of 290 mg dm-3. Soil water tension of 44 kPa and K dose of 290 mg dm-3 allow for higher water use efficiency in cherry tomato. Cherry tomato yield and water use are influenced by soil water availability and K doses in greenhouse.


Soil Research ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 54 (3) ◽  
pp. 276 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giacomo Betti ◽  
Cameron D. Grant ◽  
Robert S. Murray ◽  
G. Jock Churchman

Clay delving in strongly texture-contrast soils brings up subsoil clay in clumps ranging from large clods to tiny aggregates depending on the equipment used and the extent of secondary cultivation. Clay delving usually increases crop yields but not universally; this has generated questions about best management practices. It was postulated that the size distribution of the subsoil clumps created by delving might influence soil-water availability (and hence crop yield) because, although the clay increases water retention in the root-zone, it can also cause poor soil aeration, high soil strength and greatly reduced hydraulic conductivity. We prepared laboratory mixtures of sand and clay-rich subsoil in amounts considered practical (10% and 20% by weight) and excessive (40% and 60% by weight) with different subsoil clod sizes (<2, 6, 20 and 45 mm), for which we measured water retention, soil resistance, and saturated hydraulic conductivity. We calculated soil water availability by traditional means (plant-available water, PAW) and by the integral water capacity (IWC). We found that PAW increased with subsoil clay, particularly when smaller aggregates were used (≤6 mm). However, when the potential restrictions on PAW were taken into account, the benefits of adding clay reached a peak at ~40%, beyond which IWC declined towards that of pure subsoil clay. Furthermore, the smaller the aggregates the less effective they were at increasing IWC, particularly in the practical range of application rates (<20% by weight). We conclude that excessive post-delving cultivation may not be warranted and may explain some of the variability found in crop yields after delving.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Schütt ◽  
Alexander Gröngroeft ◽  
Selina Schaaf-Titel ◽  
Annette Eschenbach

&lt;p&gt;The benefit of urban roadside trees to provide ecosystem services and wellbeing of human in expanding and compacted cities gets more and more attention. For northern Germany it is predicted that climate change rises summer temperatures and that precipitation patterns shift to drier vegetation periods. In cities, those impacts will intensify water (soil sealing) and heat problems (urban heat island) even more. Furthermore, roadside trees have to deal with several specific site limitations like extreme soil compaction and soil sealing, low water infiltration rates, sandy and anthropogenic deposited substrates, and soil volume restrictions. The consequences for the trees are drought stress combined with reduced vitality and life expectancy.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Our research is based on soil water monitoring at 17 roadside plantation sites across the city of Hamburg.&amp;#160; We focus on the water availability of prepared planting soils and the development of the trees root systems. Sensors for soil water tension and soil temperature were installed in different soil areas of each site: topsoil, root ball, tree pit substrate, lateral space, and subsoil. The general goal of this study was to characterize the soil water availability at roadside planting pits during the first years after plantation (here: 2017, 2018 and 2019). Based on these results the long-term objective is to elaborate recommendations for the soil-related technology of future urban tree planting sites. The Creation of more suitable conditions in the planting site enhances roadside tree vitality and provides ecosystem services by the trees on a higher level.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The data analysis focused on two main aspects. First, the effect of weather conditions, especially &amp;#160;the extreme wet and dry vegetation periods, on the soil water availability in the tree pit. Second, the three-year temporal development of soil water distribution in the different soil areas within the planting pitafter plantation.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;We found that soil water availability in the vegetation period (VP; April-October) at the investigated roadside plantation sites are highly correlated to weather conditions (air temperature (aT) and precipitation (P)). During a cold and wet VP (aT: 14,0 &amp;#176;C, P: 631 mm), soil tensions reached a critical value on average at 24 &amp;#177; 18 days (11 &amp;#177; 9 % of VP). In a hot and dry VP (aT: 16,0 &amp;#176;C, P: 222 mm), soil tensions reached a critical value on average at 115 &amp;#177; 22 days (54 &amp;#177; 10 % of VP).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Furthermore, the results showed that soil water scarcity in the first VP occurred mainly in the root ball, whereas during the second VP water scarcity developed in all soil areas within the planting site, except for the subsoil. Although the amount of precipitation during the last vegetation period was more than doubled compared to the second, the subsoil reached higher water tensions. This finding leads to the conclusion that root development after plantation took place from the root ball over the prepared planting soil into the surrounding soil within depths of up to 1 m. &amp;#160;&lt;/p&gt;


2019 ◽  
pp. 1883-1891
Author(s):  
Maria Débora Loiola Bezerra ◽  
Edna Maria Bonfim Silva ◽  
Tonny José Araújo da Silva ◽  
André Pereira Freire Ferraz ◽  
Ana Paula Alves Barreto Damasceno

The objective of this study was to evaluate the phytometric characteristics and chlorophyll index of paiaguás grass (Urochloa brizantha) fertilized with wood ash doses and soil water availability. The experiment was carried out in a randomized complete block in a 5x5 fractional factorial scheme (five doses of wood ash: 0, 8, 16, 24 and 32 g dm-3, and five soil water stresses: 4, 8, 16, 32 and 64 kPa), with four replicates. The experimental design was based on the modified central compound, in which 13 combinations of wood ash doses and soil water availability were studied. Each experimental unit consisted of a pot containing 8.7 dm3 of soil and five plants. Three harvests were performed every 30 days after planting, in a 90-day experimental period. At each harvest, plant height, leaf angle, leaf area, stem diameter, and chlorophyll index (SPAD reading) were evaluated. The best results for the phytometric characteristics and chlorophyll index of paiaguás grass were observed in the wood ash dose of 21 g dm-3. There was a reduction of growth and grass chlorophyll content in the soil water tension of 41.20 kPa.


Irriga ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 378-391 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastião Francisco Figuerêdo ◽  
Eder João Pozzebon ◽  
José Antonio Frizzone ◽  
Juscelino Antonio de Azevedo ◽  
Antônio Fernando Guerra ◽  
...  

Gerenciamento da irrigação do feijoeiro baseado em critérios técnicos e econômicos no Cerrado  Sebastião Francisco Figuerêdo1; Eder João Pozzebon2; José Antonio Frizzone3; Juscelino Antonio de Azevedo1; Antônio Fernando Guerra1;Euzébio Medrado da Silva11Embrapa Cerrados, Brasília, DF,  [email protected]ência Nacional de Águas (ANA), Brasília, DF3Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz, Universidade de São Paulo, Piracicaba, SP  1 Resumo O conhecimento sobre o manejo da irrigação sob condições de escassez de água é essencial para o aperfeiçoamento da agricultura irrigada. Nesse sentido, este trabalho foi realizado objetivando definir níveis de tensão de água no solo, mais adequados para o início das irrigações do feijoeiro no Cerrado, baseado em critérios técnicos e econômicos. Foram conduzidos experimentos na Embrapa Cerrados-DF, durante três anos, em blocos ao acaso, testando, como tratamentos, as seguintes tensões: 33kPa, 50kPa, 70kPa, 100kPa, 500kPa e 1000kPa, na profundidade de 10cm. As irrigações foram aplicadas até a capacidade de campo, na camada de 0-40cm. No intervalo37 a967kPa, o rendimento de grãos reduziu-se, em forma logarítmica, com o aumento da tensão e, quadrática, com as lâminas totais. Os maiores rendimentos foram obtidos quando a irrigação era feita na tensão de água em torno de 37kPa. Entretanto, ao se considerar uma situação média estudada de custo da água e de preço do feijão, o nível de tensão mais adequado, para maior lucratividade, passou para 61kPa. As análises mostraram que baixos custos da água e altos preços do feijão levam aos pontos de máximo rendimento de grãos e de lucratividade a se aproximarem. Numa situação contrária, esses pontos se distanciam, resultando em economia de água.   UNITERMOS: Tensão da água no solo, análise econômica, manejo da irrigação, otimização da irrigação.  Figuerêdo, S. F.; Pozzebon, E.J.; Frizzone, J. A. ;  Azevedo, J. A. de; Guerra, A.F.;   Silva, E. M. da.  MANAGEMENT OF DRYBEAN IRRIGATION BASED ON TECHNICAL AND ECONOMICAL CRITERIA IN CERRADO  2 abstract The knowledge on irrigation management under deficit conditions is essential to improve irrigated agriculture. Thus, this work was developed in order to define the most adequate soil-water tensions to begin irrigating drybean crop in Cerrado, based on technical and economical criteria. Field experiments were conducted in Embrapa/Cerrados-DF,Brazil, during three years in a randomized block scheme using as treatments the following soil-water tensions: 33kPa, 50kPa, 100kPa, 500kPa and 1000kPa, ate a 10-cm depth. The irrigations were applied until field capacity filled the 40-cm soil depth. In the interval from 37 to 96kPa, grain yield decreased logarithmically with the increase of soil-water tension and, quadratically with total applied water. The highest yields were obtained when the irrigations were conducted with soil-water tension around 37kPa. However, after considering the water irrigation costs and the grain dry bean price, the best soil-water tension for getting larger economic return was 61kPa.The analysis showed that the combination of low irrigation costs and high grain drybean prices makes the breakeven points of total water applied for maximum yield and maximum economic return to similar. In an opposite situation, those costs are very different, resulting in larger water economy. Key words: Soil-water tension, economical analysis, irrigation management, optimizing irrigation.


Oecologia ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 160 (4) ◽  
pp. 631-641 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra J. Bucci ◽  
Fabian G. Scholz ◽  
Guillermo Goldstein ◽  
Frederick C. Meinzer ◽  
Maria E. Arce

HortScience ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 498a-498
Author(s):  
Matthew W. Fidelibus ◽  
Chris A. Martin

Sugar and starch concentrations in leaves and roots of Citrus volkameriana Tan and Pasq were measured in response to irrigation frequency and AMF inoculum. Non-mycorrhizal seedlings were treated with a soil inoculum from one of five different communities of AMF; two AMF communities from Arizona citrus orchard soils, and three communities from undisturbed desert soils. Plants were assigned to frequent (soil water tension > –0.01 MPa) or infrequent (soil water tension > –0.06 MPa) irrigation cycles and were container-grown in a glasshouse for 4 months before tissues were analyzed. Fungal inoculum source did not affect shoot or root carbohydrate levels. Plants grown under high irrigation frequency had increased leaf and root starch levels and increased root sugar levels compared with those under low irrigation frequencies. High irrigation frequency also increased shoot mass.


Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 95
Author(s):  
Yuan Gong ◽  
Christina L. Staudhammer ◽  
Susanne Wiesner ◽  
Gregory Starr ◽  
Yinlong Zhang

Understanding plant phenological change is of great concern in the context of global climate change. Phenological models can aid in understanding and predicting growing season changes and can be parameterized with gross primary production (GPP) estimated using the eddy covariance (EC) technique. This study used nine years of EC-derived GPP data from three mature subtropical longleaf pine forests in the southeastern United States with differing soil water holding capacity in combination with site-specific micrometeorological data to parameterize a photosynthesis-based phenological model. We evaluated how weather conditions and prescribed fire led to variation in the ecosystem phenological processes. The results suggest that soil water availability had an effect on phenology, and greater soil water availability was associated with a longer growing season (LOS). We also observed that prescribed fire, a common forest management activity in the region, had a limited impact on phenological processes. Dormant season fire had no significant effect on phenological processes by site, but we observed differences in the start of the growing season (SOS) between fire and non-fire years. Fire delayed SOS by 10 d ± 5 d (SE), and this effect was greater with higher soil water availability, extending SOS by 18 d on average. Fire was also associated with increased sensitivity of spring phenology to radiation and air temperature. We found that interannual climate change and periodic weather anomalies (flood, short-term drought, and long-term drought), controlled annual ecosystem phenological processes more than prescribed fire. When water availability increased following short-term summer drought, the growing season was extended. With future climate change, subtropical areas of the Southeastern US are expected to experience more frequent short-term droughts, which could shorten the region’s growing season and lead to a reduction in the longleaf pine ecosystem’s carbon sequestration capacity.


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