Effects of avocado (Persea americana Mill.) scion on arbuscular mycorrhizal and root hair development in rootstock

Grafting is an important process to propagate horticulture plants; however, the mechanism through which the scion affects the absorption of rootstock remains poorly understood. The effects of the scion on AM fungi types in the rhizosphere soil of rootstock and the absorption of mycorrhizal root were determined in this study. Composition of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, soil assessment, spore density, hyphal length density, glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP) content in rhizosphere soil, root hair morphology and AM colonisation rate were measured among ‘Kampong’ avocado rootstocks grafted with five scions and ‘Kampong’ seedling trees. Results showed the main types of AM fungi in avocado seedling trees and trees grafted with five scions were nearly identical. However, the proportion of main genera exhibited differences. In addition, alkali-hydrolysable N, alkali-hydrolysable P and available K in rhizosphere soil, root hair density, AM colonization, spore density, hyphal length and GRSP content suggested the absorption of ‘Kampong’ rootstocks grafted with ‘Monroe’, ‘Wilson seedless’, ‘Hass’ and ‘Tonnage’ possessed stronger absorption than ‘Kampong’ seedling trees because of high AM colonisation and root hair density. This study suggested scions regulated both the AM and root hair development systematically and laid the foundation for future research of AM-enhancing avocado production.     

Effect of PCMBS on calcium‐ or aluminum‐induced curvature in roots of two watermelon cultivars

Unilateral application of calcium (Ca) or aluminum (Al) in agar to the primary roots of watermelon [Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. and Nakai] cultivars ‘Dixielee’ and ‘Mirage’ induced root curvature. Root curvature induced by Al was greater than that induced by Ca in both cultivars. PCMBS inhibited Al‐induced root curvature in both cultivars, but had no effect on Ca‐induced curvature. The inhibition of curvature indicated that PCMBS reduced Al uptake. ‘Dixielee’ was more responsive to PCMBS than was ‘Mirage’.     

黄土区3种优势灌木根土复合体的抗剪强度研究

黄土区水土流失严重,生态护坡是比较推崇的防护手段,特别是灌木具有发达的根系,对含根土体有较为明显的抗剪增强作用,因此,比较自然条件下区域适生优势灌木的根土复合体抗剪强度,对于合理选择固土护坡植物具有重要意义。以黄土区常见的优势乡土灌木达乌里胡枝子(Lespedeza davurica)、中国沙棘(Hippophae rhamnoides)和狼牙刺(Sophora viciifolia)为研究对象,野外采用三维土柱挖取灌木的根系,进行不同直径单根抗拉试验和根土复合体的剪切试验。结果表明:(1)达乌里胡枝子、沙棘和狼牙刺的根系集中分布于0—40 cm土层中,它们的根长密度、根表面积密度和生物量密度随着土层深度的增加表现出整体递减的趋势。(2)达乌里胡枝子、沙棘和狼牙刺根系的抗拉力(Tensile Resistance,TR)与抗拉强度(Tensile Strength,TS)都表现为关于直径(D)的幂函数(aD^b),其中抗拉力与根径呈正相关(b>1),而抗拉强度与根径呈负相关(b<1)。(3)不同灌木根土复合体的抗剪强度在地下分布是不同的,在根际范围内随土层加深,达乌里胡枝子根土复合体的抗剪强度表现出先增加后减少而后增加又减少的趋势,最大抗剪强度的土层是20—30 cm和50—70 cm,沙棘和狼牙刺根土复合体的抗剪强度表现出先增加后减少的趋势,最大抗剪强度的土层分别是30—50 cm,0—20 cm。说明灌木的细根可以更好地起到固土护坡的作用,建议在黄土区优先选择达乌里胡枝子和沙棘作为护坡植物,从而为生态护坡提供一些参考。     

Characterization of recently 14C pulse-labelled carbon from roots by fractionation of soil organic matter

The inability of physical and chemical techniques to separate soil organic matter into fractions that have distinct turnover rates has hampered our understanding of carbon (C) and nutrient dynamics in soil. A series of soil organic matter fractionation techniques (chemical and physical) were evaluated for their ability to distinguish a potentially labile C pool, that is ‘recent’ root and root‐derived soil C. ‘Recent’ root and root‐derived C was operationally defined as root and soil C labelled by ¹⁴CO₂ pulse labelling of rye grass–clover pasture growing on undisturbed cores of soil. Most (50–94%) of total soil + root ¹⁴C activity was recovered in roots. Sequential extraction of the soil + roots with resin, 0.1 m NaOH and 1 m NaOH allocated ‘recent’ soil + root ¹⁴C to all fractions including the alkali‐insoluble residual fraction. Approximately 50% was measured in the alkali‐insoluble residue but specific activity was greater in the resin and 1 m NaOH fractions. Hot 0.5 m H₂SO₄ hydrolysed 80% of the ¹⁴C in the alkali‐insoluble residue of soil + roots but this diminished specific activity by recovering much non‐¹⁴C organic matter. Pre‐alkali extraction treatment with 30% H₂O₂ and post‐alkali treatment extractions with hot 1 m HNO₃ removed organic matter with a large ¹⁴C specific activity from the alkali‐insoluble residue. Density separation failed to isolate a significant pool of ‘recent’ root‐derived ¹⁴C. The density separation of ¹⁴C‐labelled roots, and roots remixed with non‐radioactive soil, showed that the adhesion of soil particles to young ¹⁴C‐labelled roots was the likely cause of the greater proportion of ¹⁴C in the heavy fraction. Simple chemical or density fractionations of C appear unsuitable for characterizing ‘recent’ root‐derived C into fractions that can be designated labile C (short turnover time).     

Evaluation of deep root phenotyping techniques in tube rhizotrons

Selection for deep rooting is critical for the development of genotypes that are able to explore deep soil water and nutrients, particularly as agricultural resources become more limited. However, current root phenotyping techniques demand significant investments of time, money, and effort, and measurements on very young plants or plants grown under soilless culture. This study introduced four novel and simple techniques for fast evaluation of root depth in tube rhizotrons, which enable root observation around the transparent tube walls, and allow roots growing to natural size in semi-field conditions. The first and second innovations involve the introduction of ¹⁵N tracer and herbicide to the roots, which estimated root activity by measuring the responses of the shoots aboveground. The third involves placement of a cone deep in the rhizotron, to increase chances to observe more deep roots along the tube walls. The fourth involves measurement of roots that emerge from the rhizotron bottom. The reliability of these techniques were assessed in a series of five experiments during 2014 and 2015. These tests compared two pairs of genotypes that previous studies had shown to have mutually distinctive root traits: the spring wheat pair of ‘April bearded’ vs. ‘Dacke’; and the winter wheat pair of ‘Tabasco’ vs. ‘Genius’, with the first of each pair being the genotype known for deep rooting. Results showed that the new techniques were as good as or better than existing alternatives at accurately measuring root traits. In eight of the nine comparisons, the measurements were consistent with the expectations of root characteristics for these known genotypes. Importantly, the indirect root activity measures (herbicide and ¹⁵N) showed the same trend as the direct root observation techniques in all experiments, but higher ability to distinguish the genotypes and more promise for future upscaling for plant breeding.     

The in situ root chamber: A novel tool for the experimental analysis of root competition in forest soils

Competition between the roots of mature trees in mixed forests is not well understood because adequate methods for studying this interaction under field conditions are not yet available. We present a novel root chamber (size: 90×70×30 mm) that allows growth monitoring of individual tree fine roots in the soil while altering root competition situations experimentally. Fine roots of mature trees that were carefully uncovered from the soil were allowed to grow for several months in the chamber which contained soil material from the root's close proximity. Fine root increment was quantified by optical root length determination at the beginning and the end of the experiment. By placing individual fine roots of a tree species together with a second conspecific or allospecific root, the chamber allows one to simulate conditions of intra- and interspecific competition, and to test hypotheses on intensity and direction of root competition in the soil of mixed forests.We investigated the applicability of the root chamber in a mature beech–oak mixed forest in which beech is known to be a superior competitor above-ground. One-hundred and six chambers with different combinations of beech and oak fine roots were exposed in the soil for 180 or 438 d. In two-species chambers, which contained one beech and one oak root allowing for interspecific competition, beech fine roots grew significantly faster than oak roots. Furthermore, beech roots tended to show a higher growth rate in two-species chambers than in single-species chambers (two beech roots: intraspecific competition). In contrast, oak roots tended to grow slower when placed together with beech than when growing together with oak. By expressing the competitive strength of beech and oak roots with the relative competition intensity (RCI) index, evidence of asymmetric interspecific root competition in favour of beech was obtained.The potentials of this technique are related to the fact that replicated experiments with fine roots of adult trees can be conducted in the field; a certain artificiality, which is inherent to all rhizosphere experiments, represents the main limitation. From this study we conclude that while there are some limitations, in situ root chambers represent an important step towards the experimental analysis of root competition in forests.     

稻壳炭对紧实土壤中苹果根系硫同化酶活性、H2S含量及根系构型的影响

  【目的】   苹果种植后土壤很少翻动,根系常受土壤紧实胁迫。研究在土壤中掺混稻壳炭提高苹果根系硫同化代谢以及根系构型的效果,为果园土壤管理提供技术参考。   【方法】   以砧木分别为平邑甜茶和八棱海棠的两年生‘红富士’苹果 (Malusdomestica ‘Red Fuji’) 幼树为试材进行盆栽试验。对掺入和没掺入稻壳炭的土壤分别进行镇压 (土壤紧实度值分别为1558和1572 KPa) 和不镇压 (土壤紧实度值分别为923和939 KPa),共4个处理。苹果幼树移栽成活后60天,测定土壤孔隙度、氧气浓度和水溶性硫含量,分析苹果根系硫酸根和硫化氢 (H₂S) 含量及ATP硫酸化酶 (ATPS)、O-乙酰丝氨酸裂解酶 (OASTL) 和L-半胱氨酸脱巯基酶（L-CD）、D-半胱氨酸脱巯基酶 (D-CD) 活性,以及根系活力和形态构型等。   【结果】   镇压处理显著降低了土壤中水溶性硫含量,降低了八棱海棠和平邑甜茶为砧木的苹果幼树根系硫酸根含量,降低了根系ATPS、OASTL和L-CD、D-CD活性以及内源H₂S含量,并显著降低根系活力、根长密度、根系长度、根系体积和根系分形维数,在平邑甜茶为砧木的幼树根系中的降低幅度大于八棱海棠砧木。无论是否镇压土壤,掺入稻壳炭均提高了土壤孔隙度、土壤氧气浓度以及不同形态硫含量,提高了苹果根系硫酸根和内源H₂S含量,根系ATPS、OASTL和L-CD、D-CD活性,根系活力,根系长度,根长密度和根系分形维数,且在紧实土壤中八棱海棠砧木的提升幅度大于在平邑甜茶砧木中,两种砧木的苹果幼树在紧实土壤中的提升幅度均大于在正常土壤中。   【结论】   土壤紧实显著降低土壤水溶性硫含量,抑制苹果根系硫代谢和根系生长,在土壤中掺入稻壳炭可以显著提高紧实土壤中苹果根系硫代谢、根系生长和根系分枝。因此,在苹果移栽时,在土壤中掺入一定比例的稻壳炭可以有效缓解土壤紧实对苹果根系生长和硫代谢的不利影响。     

Root growth and N‐uptake activity of oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) cultivars differing in nitrogen efficiency

Nitrate‐N uptake from soil depends on root growth and uptake activity. However, under field conditions N‐uptake activity is difficult to estimate from soil‐N depletion due to different loss pathways. We modified the current mesh‐bag method to estimate nitrate‐N‐uptake activity and root growth of two oilseed‐rape cultivars differing in N‐uptake efficiency. N‐efficient cultivar (cv.) ‘Apex' and N‐inefficient cv. ‘Capitol' were grown in a field experiment on a silty clayey gleyic fluvisol near Göttingen, northern Germany, and fertilized with 0 (N₀) and 227 (N₂₂₇) kg N ha^–1. In February 2002, PVC tubes with a diameter of 50 mm were installed between plant rows at 0–0.3 and 0–0.6 m soil depth with an angle of 45°. At the beginning of shooting, beginning of flowering, and at seed filling, the PVC tubes were substituted by PVC tubes (compartments) of the same diameter, but with an open window at the upper side either at a soil depth of 0–0.3 or 0.3–0.6 m allowing roots to grow into the tubes. Anion‐exchange resin at the bottom of the compartment allowed estimation of nitrate leaching. The compartments were then filled with root‐free soil which was amended with or without 90 mg N (kg soil)^–1. The newly developed roots and nitrate‐N depletion were estimated in the compartments after the installing period (21 d at shooting stage and 16 d both at flowering and grain‐filling stages). Nitrate‐N depletion was estimated from the difference between NO ‐N contents of compartments containing roots and control compartments (windows closed with a membrane) containing no roots. The amount of nitrate leached from the compartments was quantified from the resin and has been taken into consideration in the calculation of the N depletion. The amount of N depleted from the compartments significantly correlated with root‐length density. Suboptimal N application to the crop reduced total biomass and seed‐yield formation substantially (24% and 38% for ‘Apex’ and ‘Capitol’, respectively). At the shooting stage, there were no differences in root production and N depletion from the compartments by the two cultivars between N₀ and N₂₂₇. But at flowering and seed‐filling stages, higher root production and accordingly higher N depletion was observed at N₀ compared to N₂₂₇. Towards later growth stages, the newly developed roots were characterized by a reduction of root diameter and a shift towards the deeper soil layer (0.3–0.6m). At low but not at high N supply, the N‐efficient cv. ‘Apex’ exhibited higher root growth and accordingly depleted nitrate‐N more effectively than the N‐inefficient cv. ‘Capitol’, especially during the reproductive growth phase. The calculated nitrate‐N‐uptake rate per unit root length was maximal at flowering (for the low N supply) but showed no difference between the two cultivars. This indicated that the higher N‐uptake efficiency of cv. ‘Apex’ was due to higher root growth rather than higher uptake per unit of root length.     

Interactions between fertilizer nitrogen and soil nitrogen—the so-called 'priming' effect

Experiments with ¹⁵N labelled fertilizers often show that plants given fertilizer N take up more N from the soil than plants not given N—the priming effect or ‘added nitrogen interaction’(ANI). This paper is a theoretical study of ANIs and how they can affect the interpretation of experiments with ¹⁵N labelled fertilizers. ANIs can be ‘Real’, if for example, fertilizer N increases the volume of soil explored by roots, or ‘apparent’, caused by pool substitution or by isotope displacement reactions. Pool substitution is the process by which added labelled N stands proxy for native unlabelled N that would otherwise have been removed from that pool. Microbial immobilization of N, whether driven by the decomposition of soil organic matter or by the decomposition of plant roots, can lead to pool substitution and is the dominant cause of apparent ANIs. Denitrification and plant uptake of N can also, under special circumstances, lead to pool substitution and thus give rise to apparent ANIs. Isotope displacement reactions, in which the added labelled N displaces native unlabelled N from a ‘bound’ pool, can lead to apparent ANIs but are only likely to be of significance in exceptional circumstances. The relationship between ANIs, ‘A’ values and N fertilizer uptake efficiencies are examined by means of a simple model for uptake of ¹⁵N-labelled fertilizer by a crop. A positive ‘apparent’ ANI is accompanied by an ‘A’ value that changes as fertilizer applications increase. Likewise, a positive ‘apparent’ ANI also causes fertilizer uptake efficiency to appear lower when measured by the uptake of ¹⁵N than when measured by the non-isotopic ‘difference’ method.     

Soil morphology,depth and grapevine root frequency influence microbial communities in a Pinot noir vineyard

The composition of microbial communities responds to soil resource availability, and has been shown to vary with increasing depth in the soil profile. Soil microorganisms partly rely on root-derived carbon (C) for growth and activity. Roots in woody perennial systems like vineyards have a deeper vertical distribution than grasslands and annual agriculture. Thus, we hypothesized that vineyard soil microbial communities along a vertical soil profile would differ from those observed in grassland and annual agricultural systems. In a Pinot noir vineyard, soil pits were excavated to ca. 1.6–2.5 m, and microbial community composition in ‘bulk’ (i.e., no roots) and ‘root’ (i.e., roots present) soil was described by phospholipid ester-linked fatty acids (PLFA). Utilization of soil taxonomy aided in understanding relationships between soil microbial communities, soil resources and other physical and chemical characteristics. Soil microbial communities in the Ap horizon were similar to each other, but greater variation in microbial communities was observed among the lower horizons. Soil resources (i.e., total PLFA, or labile C, soil C and nitrogen, and exchangeable potassium) were enriched in the surface horizons and significantly explained the distribution of soil microbial communities with depth. Soil chemical properties represented the secondary gradient explaining the differentiation between microbial communities in the B-horizons from the C-horizons. Relative abundance of Gram-positive bacteria and actinomycetes did not vary with depth, but were enriched in ‘root’ vs. ‘bulk’ soils. Fungal biomarkers increased with increasing depth in ‘root’ soils, differing from previous studies in grasslands and annual agricultural systems. This was dependent on the deep distribution of roots in the vineyard soil profile, suggesting that the distinct pattern in PLFA biomarkers may have been strongly affected by C derived from the grapevine roots. Gram-negative bacteria did not increase in concert with fungal abundance, suggesting that acidic pHs in lower soil horizons may have discouraged their growth. These results emphasize the importance of considering soil morphology and associated soil characteristics when investigating effects of depth and roots on soil microorganisms, and suggest that vineyard management practices and deep grapevine root distribution combine to cultivate a unique microbial community in these soil profiles.     

Image analysis for non‐destructive and non‐invasive quantification of root growth and soil water content in rhizotrons

Studies aiming at quantification of roots growing in soil are often constrained by the lack of suitable methods for continuous, non‐destructive measurements. A system is presented in which maize (Zea mays L.) seedlings were grown in acrylic containers — rhizotrons — in a soil layer 6‐mm thick. These thin‐layer soil rhizotrons facilitate homogeneous soil preparation and non‐destructive observation of root growth. Rhizotrons with plants were placed in a growth chamber on a rack slanted to a 45° angle to promote growth of roots along the transparent acrylic sheet. At 2‐ to 3‐day intervals, rhizotrons were placed on a flatbed scanner to collect digital images from which root length and root diameters were measured using RMS software. Images taken during the course of the experiment were also analyzed with QUACOS software that measures average pixel color values. Color readings obtained were converted to soil water content using images of reference soils of known soil water contents. To verify that roots observed at the surface of the rhizotrons were representative of the total root system in the rhizotrons, they were compared with destructive samples of roots that were carefully washed from soil and analyzed for total root length and root diameter. A significant positive relation was found between visible and washed out roots. However, the influence of soil water content and soil bulk density was reflected on seminal roots rather than first order laterals that are responsible for more than 80 % of the total root length. Changes in soil water content during plant growth could be quantitifed in the range of 0.04 to 0.26 cm³ cm^—3 if image areas of 500 x 500 pixel were analyzed and averaged. With spatial resolution of 12 x 12 pixel, however, soil water contents could only be discriminated below 0.09 cm³ cm^—3 due to the spatial variation of color readings. Results show that this thin‐layer soil rhizotron system allows researchers to observe and quantify simultaneously the time courses of seedling root development and soil water content without disturbance to the soil or roots.     

Tree roots in canopy soils of old European beech trees—An ecological reassessment of a forgotten phenomenon

The formation of adventitious roots in humus accumulations in tree canopies is widely acknowledged from tropical and temperate rainforests, while the occurrence of those canopy roots in temperate tree species under mesic climates has been largely disregarded for ca. 100 years. Moreover, almost nothing is yet known of the ecological growth conditions or the structure or morphology of such canopy root systems. This study reports on the occurrence of tree fine roots in crown humus pockets of old European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) trees. The aim was to compare these canopy roots with the fine roots in the terrestrial organic layer soil in terms of fine root biomass density, root morphological traits, ectomycorrhizal colonisation and chemical composition of the root tissue, and to relate these root traits to the chemical properties of the respective soils. Fine root biomass density in crown humus pockets was ca. 7 times higher than in the terrestrial organic layer, even though soil chemical properties of both rooting media were similar. Fine roots in the canopy differed from terrestrial fine roots by lower specific root tip abundance, specific root length, and specific root surface area, all of which points to a longer lifespan of the fine roots in the canopy. Moreover, canopy roots revealed a lower percentage of root tips colonised by ectomycorrhizal fungi than terrestrial roots (87% vs. 93%). Chemical composition of the root tissue in canopy and terrestrial soils was similar for most elements, but canopy roots showed lower P, Fe, and Al concentrations and a higher N/P ratio than terrestrial roots. Root P concentrations of both canopy and terrestrial fine roots were closely related to soil P concentration, but not to soil C/P or N/P ratios. On the other hand, tissue N of canopy roots, but not of terrestrial roots, revealed a clear dependence on soil N and C/N values, suggesting a more limited N availability in the canopy soil compared to the terrestrial organic layer. However, the overall small differences in soil chemical properties between canopy and terrestrial organic layer soil cannot explain the markedly higher volumetric root density in the crown humus and the differences in ecomorphological traits between canopy and terrestrial soil. Instead, it is speculated that these differences are more likely a result of temporarily high water availability in crown humus pockets due to high water flow along the surface of branches to the central crown parts of the beech trees.     

排土场土体裂缝区植被根系及抗剪强度分布特征

为揭示排土场土体裂缝区植物根系和抗剪强度分布特征,采用根钻法、WinRHIZO根系分析系统和直剪仪研究了0—60 cm土层植物根系、黏聚力和内摩擦角随土层深度的变化规律。结果表明:3个样地根系特征参数不同,随土层深度增加而减小,主要分布在0—20 cm土层,根密度和根重密度为88.81～303.03个/10³cm³,0.15～2.69 mg/cm³。根系以径级d≤0.1 mm和0.1 mm相似文献   

The influence of soil aeration on growth and elemental absorption of greenhouse‐grown seedling pecan trees

Abstract

‘Dodd’ pecan seedlings were exposed to 3 levels of soil aeration for 30 days; 100%, 5%, and 0% of the container surface exposed to the atmosphere. These treatments resulted in about 21%, 13.5%, and 3% soil O₂and 0.3%, 5%, and 13% soil CO₂for 100%, 5%, and 0% of the container surface exposed, respectively. Restricting soil aeration induced partial stomatal closure, and decreased leaf number, leaf area, and leaf, trunk and root dry weights. The decrease in root dry weight associated with reduced soil aeration exceeded the decrease in top dry weight by about 50%. Translocation of N and P to the leaves was reduced when soil aeration was restricted, but root N and P concentrations were increased compared to trees grown in well aerated soil. Leaf elemental concentrations of Ca, Mg, and Mn were lower when trees were exposed to reduced soil aeration. Zinc and Fe concentrations were greater in the roots of trees with low aeration, but leaf and trunk concentrations of Zn and Fe were not affected     

两种灌木根系对异质生长空间的适应分布特征

为探究灌木根系对异质空间的适应策略,以紫穗槐和胡枝子两种灌木为研究对象,采用盆栽控制生长空间的研究方法,以放置不同形状的木板在盆内模拟不同喀斯特异质空间条件(孔隙型、圆形裂缝型、条形裂缝型和孔隙+岩石阻挡型),研究了异质空间条件下两种灌木根系分布特征。结果表明:(1)异质空间条件下紫穗槐和胡枝子根系各项指标均高于均质空间,异质空间条件对根系生长有促进作用。不同植物受异质空间的影响程度不同,胡枝子在异质空间下的根系生物量显著高于均质空间。不同异质空间对根系生长的影响不同,紫穗槐和胡枝子根系均在孔隙型和圆形裂缝型两种空间条件下最为发达。(2)紫穗槐和胡枝子根生物量分布特征受异质空间影响。在异质空间下两种树种根生物量的垂直分布均集中分布在土层深度5—10 cm和15—20 cm范围内,水平分布均集中分布在距植株中心0—3 cm内。紫穗槐根系生物量的水平分布受异质空间具体形状影响较大,孔隙型空间和圆形裂缝型空间对其水平分布影响较为显著。(3)两种灌木对异质空间的适应策略不同,紫穗槐根系对异质空间的适应策略为寻找更多空间,而胡枝子根系对异质空间的适应策略为占据有限空间。综上,紫穗槐和胡枝子根系生长受空间影响,两种灌木根系对生长空间适应策略不同。     

云南省东川银合欢林区重塑土三轴抗剪强度实验研究

为研究固氮植物的固土机制,在中国科学院东川蒋家沟泥石流观测研究站银合欢林区选取5棵树龄相当的银合欢树,于植株附近1m处分别挖取深2m,宽1m的土壤剖面取土并采取银合欢树根,对含有银合欢树根的重塑土进行三轴实验。分析了抗剪强度、黏聚力及内摩擦角与含根量及根径的关系。实验结果表明,抗剪强度与含根量及根径均呈正相关,黏聚力与含根量及根径均呈正相关,内摩擦角受含根量及根径的影响较小,在一定程度上呈负相关。准黏聚力准则与该实验结果一致,同时也存在不同之处,即随着含根量的增多及根径的增大,土体的黏聚力提高,但在一定程度上土体内摩擦角有所降低。定量评价银合欢根系在提高土体抗剪强度方面所起的作用,对利用生物工程措施在该区域进行生态修复有着重要的应用价值。     

Modelling the rhizosphere: a review of methods for 'upscaling' to the whole-plant scale

The rhizosphere is a dynamic region where multiple interacting processes in the roots and surrounding soil take place, with dimensions set by the distance to which the zone of root influence spreads into the soil. Its complexity is such that some form of mathematical modelling is essential for understanding which of the various processes operating are important, and a minimal model of the rhizosphere must provide information on (a) the spatiotemporal concentration changes of mobile solutes in the root‐influenced soil, and (b) the cumulative uptake of solutes per unit length of root over time. Both are unique for a given set of parameters and initial conditions and hence the model is fully deterministic. ‘Up‐scaling’ to uptake by whole plants by integrating individual fluxes requires a measure of the growth and senescence of the root system. Root architecture models are increasingly successful in providing this. The spatio‐temporal scales of the rhizosphere and roots are sufficiently different that they can be treated separately, and this greatly simplifies modelling. The minimal model has been successfully applied to the more‐mobile nutrients in soil, such as nitrate or potassium, but much less successfully to less‐soluble nutrients such as phosphorus, because other, undescribed processes become important. These include transfers from unavailable forms, heterogeneity of resource distribution, root competition, water redistribution and adaptive processes. Incorporating such processes into models can disrupt independent scaling. In general, scaling from the scale of the individual root to that of the whole plant does not pose insuperable problems. Paradoxically, the major challenge in introducing more complexity is that experimental corroboration of the model is required at the individual root scale.     

Der Einfluß von Bodenart,Durchlüftung des Bodens,N-Ernährung und Rhizosphärenflora auf die Morphologie des seminalen Wurzelsystems von Mais

Influence of soil type, soil aeration, nitrogen supply and rhizosphere flora on the morphology of the seminal root system of maize The influence of the soil type (quartz sand – humous loamy sandy soil), soil aeration, nitrogen supply and rhizosphere flora on the morphology of the seminal root system of maize plants grown in pot culture was investigated. The morphological parameters of number, length, diameter and root hair formation (both length and density) of the main and the lateral roots were determined in addition to the total root length and number and the lateral root density. 1. The biomass production of the shoot and root system was nearly identical in both soils. The total root length growth, however, was enhanced in the sandy soil due to the stimulated formation of first order lateral roots. This increase was correlated with a decrease in the mean diameter and root hair length of the main and lateral roots. 2. A decreased O₂-supply to the soil resulted in a drastic reduction of root biomass, which was correlated, however, with a (relative) increase in total root length (due to the stimulation of the length growth of the first order lateral roots). The root hair length, on the other hand, was reduced under O₂-deficiency. 3. Reduced N-supply resulted in a decrease of the shoot/root-ratio with both substrates which could be ascribed to the enhanced formation and length of the first order lateral roots. 4. The presence of soil microorganisms in quartz sand culture resulted in a reduction of shoot biomass. In comparison with the sterile control culture the total length of the main roots was retarded, the main and lateral roots were more slender and root hair formation was reduced. 5. The experimental results show that the lateral root system demonstrates a significantly greater plasticity than does the main root system.     

Carbon input by plants into the soil. Review

The methods used for estimating below‐ground carbon (C) translocation by plants, and the results obtained for different plant species are reviewed. Three tracer techniques using C isotopes to quantify root‐derived C are discussed: pulse labeling, continuous labeling, and a method based on the difference in ¹³C natural abundance in C3 and C4 plants. It is shown, that only the tracer methods provided adequate results for the whole below‐ground C translocation. This included roots, exudates and other organic substances, quickly decomposable by soil microorganisms, and CO₂ produced by root respiration. Advantages due to coupling of two different tracer techniques are shown. The differences in the below‐ground C translocation pattern between plant species (cereals, grasses, and trees) are discussed. Cereals (wheat and barley) transfer 20%—30% of total assimilated C into the soil. Half of this amount is subsequently found in the roots and about one‐third in CO₂ evolved from the soil by root respiration and microbial utilization of rootborne organic substances. The remaining part of below‐ground translocated C is incorporated into the soil microorganisms and soil organic matter. The portion of assimilated C allocated below the ground by cereals decreases during growth and by increasing N fertilization. Pasture plants translocated about 30%—50% of assimilates below‐ground, and their translocation patterns were similar to those of crop plants. On average, the total C amounts translocated into the soil by cereals and pasture plants are approximately the same (1500 kg C ha^—1), when the same growth period is considered. However, during one vegetation period the cereals and grasses allocated beneath the ground about 1500 and 2200 kg C ha^—1, respectively. Finally, a simple approach is suggested for a rough calculation of C input into the soil and for root‐derived CO₂ efflux from the soil.     

Root growth and nutrient element status of creeping bentgrass cultivars differing in heat tolerance as influenced by supraoptimal shoot and root temperatures

This study was designed to determine and compare root growth and nutritional responses of creeping bentgrass cultivars that differ in heat tolerance to differential, supraoptimal, shoot and root temperatures. Shoots and roots of ‘Penncross’ (heat sensitive) and ‘L‐93’ (heat tolerant) were exposed to four air/soil temperature regimes (20/20°C‐control, 20/35°C, 35/20°C, and 35/35°C) in water baths and growth chambers. Exposing roots to supraoptimal root temperature (35°C) while maintaining shoots at normal temperature (20°C) or particularly at 35°C reduced root fresh weight, root number, and contents of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) in shoots and roots and accelerated root death for both cultivars. High root temperature had greater detrimental effects on root growth and nutrient element accumulation than high shoot temperature for both cultivars. A low root temperature at supraoptimal shoot temperature improved root growth, reduced root mortality; and increased N, P, and K contents in shoots and roots. Among the three nutrient elements, K was the most sensitive to changes in root temperature. L‐93 generally maintained higher fresh weight and number of roots and higher N, P, and K contents in shoots and roots, particularly K in roots, under high root (20/35°C) or shoot/root (35/35°C) temperatures. The results indicated that root growth and nutrient element accumulation, particularly of K, played an important role in creeping bentgrass tolerance to heat stress imposed on shoots by high air temperature or to roots by high soil temperatures. The enhanced root growth and nutrient element relations with a low root temperature at supraoptimal ambient temperatures could lead to the improved shoot growth in cool‐season grasses observed under these conditions.