Root Growth, Morphological and Physiological Characteristics of Subtropical and Temperate Vegetable Crops Grown in the Tropics Under Different Root-Zone Temperature

Root growth of Magnolia grandiflora Hort. `St. Mary' was studied for 16 wk after an 8-wk exposure period to 30°, 34°, 38°, or 42°±0.8°C root-zone temperature (RZT) treatments applied 6 hr daily, Immediately after the RZT treatment period, total root length was similar for trees exposed to 30°, 34°, and 38°C and was reduced 45% at 42° compared to 38°C. For weeks eight and 18 of the post-treatment period, response of total root length to RZT was linear. Total root length of trees exposed to 28°C was 247% and 225% greater than those exposed to 42°C RZT at week eight and 16, respectively. Root dry weight from the 42°C RZT treatment was 29% and 48% less than 38° and 34°C RZT treatment, respectively, at week eight. By week 16, root dry weight as a function of RZT had changed such that the 42°C RZT was 43% and 47% less than 38° and 34°C RZT, respectively. Differences in root growth patterns between weeks eight and 16 suggest that trees were able to overcome the detrimental effects of the 38°C treatment whereas growth suppression by the 42°C treatment was still evident after 16 wk. Previous exposure of tree roots to supraoptimal RZT regimens may have long-term implications for suppressing growth and lengthening the establishment period of trees in the landscape,

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Root Growth of Southern Magnolia Following Exposure to High Root-zone Temperatures

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci.26.4.370 ◽

1991 ◽

Vol 26 (4) ◽

pp. 370-371 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Chris A. Martin ◽

Dewayne L. Ingram

Keyword(s):

Root Growth ◽

Root Length ◽

Root Zone ◽

Dry Weight ◽

Growth Patterns ◽

Total Root Length ◽

Root Zone Temperature ◽

Magnolia Grandiflora ◽

Root Dry Weight ◽

Zone Temperature

Root growth of southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora Hort. `St. Mary') was studied for 16 weeks after an 8-week exposure to 30, 34, 38, or 42 ± 0.8C root-zone temperature (RZT) treatments applied for 6 hours daily. Immediately after RZT treatments, total root length of trees responded negatively to increased RZT in a quadratic pattern and the shoot and root dry weight of trees was similar. However, 8 and 16 weeks after RZT treatments, total root length responded linearly in a negative pattern to increased RZT, and shoot and root dry weight responded negatively to increased RZT in a linear and quadratic pattern, respectively. Root dry weight of trees exposed to 42C RZT treatment was 29% and 48% less than 38 and 34C RZT treatments, respectively, at week 8. By week 16, root dry weight as a function of RZT had changed such that the 42C RZT was 43% and 47% less than 38 and 34C RZT, respectively. Differences in root growth patterns between weeks 8 and 16 suggest that trees were able to overcome the detrimental effects of the 38C treatment, whereas growth suppression by the 42C treatment was still evident after 16 weeks.

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Relationship among photosynthesis, ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase (Rubisco) and water relations of the subtropical vegetable Chinese broccoli grown in the tropics by manipulation of root-zone temperature

Environmental and Experimental Botany ◽

10.1016/s0098-8472(01)00089-2 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 46 (2) ◽

pp. 119-128 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Jie He ◽

Sing Kong Lee

Keyword(s):

Water Relations ◽

Root Zone ◽

Bisphosphate Carboxylase ◽

Root Zone Temperature ◽

The Tropics ◽

Zone Temperature

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Effects of root zone temperature, oxygen concentration, and moisture content on actual vs. potential growth of greenhouse crops

10.32747/2006.7586547.bard ◽

2006 ◽

Author(s):

J. Heiner Lieth ◽

Michael Raviv ◽

David W. Burger

Keyword(s):

Root Growth ◽

Dissolved Oxygen ◽

Crop Production ◽

Production Systems ◽

Root Zone ◽

Potential Growth ◽

Root Zone Temperature ◽

Actual Growth ◽

Rhizosphere Processes ◽

Zone Temperature

Soilless crop production in protected cultivation requires optimization of many environmental and plant variables. Variables of the root zone (rhizosphere) have always been difficult to characterize but have been studied extensively. In soilless production the opportunity exists to optimize these variables in relation to crop production. The project objectives were to model the relationship between biomass production and the rhizosphere variables: temperature, dissolved oxygen concentration and water availability by characterizing potential growth and how this translates to actual growth. As part of this we sought to improve of our understanding of root growth and rhizosphere processes by generating data on the effect of rhizosphere water status, temperature and dissolved oxygen on root growth, modeling potential and actual growth and by developing and calibrating models for various physical and chemical properties in soilless production systems. In particular we sought to use calorimetry to identify potential growth of the plants in relation to these rhizosphere variables. While we did experimental work on various crops, our main model system for the mathematical modeling work was greenhouse cut-flower rose production in soil-less cultivation. In support of this, our objective was the development of a Rose crop model. Specific to this project we sought to create submodels for the rhizosphere processes, integrate these into the rose crop simulation model which we had begun developing prior to the start of this project. We also sought to verify and validate any such models and where feasible create tools that growers could be used for production management. We made significant progress with regard to the use of microcalorimetry. At both locations (Israel and US) we demonstrated that specific growth rate for root and flower stem biomass production were sensitive to dissolved oxygen. Our work also identified that it is possible to identify optimal potential growth scenarios and that for greenhouse-grown rose the optimal root zone temperature for potential growth is around 17 C (substantially lower than is common in commercial greenhouses) while flower production growth potential was indifferent to a range as wide as 17-26C in the root zone. We had several set-backs that highlighted to us the fact that work needs to be done to identify when microcalorimetric research relates to instantaneous plant responses to the environment and when it relates to plant acclimation. One outcome of this research has been our determination that irrigation technology in soilless production systems needs to explicitly include optimization of oxygen in the root zone. Simply structuring the root zone to be “well aerated” is not the most optimal approach, but rather a minimum level. Our future work will focus on implementing direct control over dissolved oxygen in the root zone of soilless production systems.

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