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Research article1993Peer reviewed

Wheat root biomass and nitrogen dynamics—effects of daily irrigation and fertilization

Kätterer, Thomas; Hansson, Ann-Charlotte; Andrén, Olof

Abstract

The maximum root biomass (104 g m-2) was reached earliest in IF. On 6 June, root samples were taken down to a depth of 100 cm, and the proportion of deep roots (50-100 cm) was least in I, indicating that it had the shallowest root system. The root biomass as a fraction of the total plant mass decreased during crop development in all treatments down to about 4% at harvest. The decrease was more rapid in I and C than in D and IF. The higher proportion of roots during spring in D and IF coincided with a low nitrogen concentration in the roots, which was attributed to the restricted water supply and to the relative shortage of nitrogen during early crop development in D and IF, respectively. The dynamics of mass and nitrogen in macroscopic organic debris in the soil suggested that root turnover rates were high.

Keywords

DEPTH DISTRIBUTION; IRRIGATION; NITROGEN FERTILIZATION; ROOT BIOMASS; SOIL-CORING; WHEAT

Published in

Plant and Soil
1993, Volume: 151, number: 1, pages: 21-30
Publisher: KLUWER ACADEMIC PUBL

      SLU Authors

    • Kätterer, Thomas

      • Department of Ecology and Environmental Research, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

      • Hansson, Lotta

        • Department of Ecology and Environmental Research, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

        • Andrén, Olof

          • Department of Ecology and Environmental Research, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

        UKÄ Subject classification

        Soil Science

        Publication identifier

        DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00010782

        Permanent link to this page (URI)

        https://res.slu.se/id/publ/44547