STUDIES ON THE ROOT DEVELOPMENT OF HERBAGE PLANTS |
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Authors: | H. K. Baker E. A. Garwood |
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Affiliation: | Grassland Research Institute, Hurley, Berkshire, England |
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Abstract: | Herbage, stubble and root weights were recorded for thirteen months on various leys subjected to two treatments differing in frequency of cutting. The root-weight per unit area of a ryegrass/white-clover ley was not affected by the frequency of cutting, but the less frequently cut plots had fewer tillers per unit area; the root- and stubble-weight per tiller was, therefore, higher on the less frequently cut plots, On a cocksfoot ley the root-weight was not affected by the cutting treatment, but in late summer and early autumn the stubble-weight was considerably higher on the less frequently cut plots. When cocksfoot was grown in rows 2 feet apart, the more frequent cutting decreased both the root- and stubble-weight. On grass leys root-weights were heaviest in the summer and thereafter decreased until the following spring. The root-weight of lucerne decreased from May to July, increased to a maximum in December and then decreased in weight. The changes in root-weight under lucerne leys were mainly due to changes in the weight of the tap-roots. The vertical distribution of roots was recorded, and, in the case of the cocksfoot in rows, the lateral distribution of roots is also given. |
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