| Abstract: | Root growth and yield of sugar-beets were studied on two Belgian silt loam soils and one alluvial clay soil after subsoiling to a depth of 60 cm. The removal of the plough sole layer, characterized by penetration resistances > 3 MPa, resulted in an increase of the root quantity and a higher availability of water. As a consequence, a mean yield increase of 5 tons/ha for sugar-beets was found on the subsoiled plots in drier years. The yield increase was accompanied by a higher uptake of nutritive elements. |
