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Get on your boots: estimating root biomass and rhizodeposition of peas under field conditions reveals the necessity of field experiments.
- Source :
- Plant & Soil; Oct2019, Vol. 443 Issue 1/2, p449-462, 14p, 1 Diagram, 5 Charts, 2 Graphs
- Publication Year :
- 2019
-
Abstract
- Aims: More sustainable agricultural systems, which contribute to C sequestration and biological N fixation, require accurate quantification of plant C and N inputs into soils. This has to be conducted under field conditions, as there are serious shortcomings to pot-based experiments, which have dominated studies on rhizodeposition estimation in the past. Therefore, amounts of below-ground plant C, N, and especially the rhizodeposition of peas were quantified in the field more accurately, with particular emphasis on their transfer into different soil compartments during vegetation. Methods: Pea (Pisum sativum L.) plants were labelled with multiple pulses of <superscript>13</superscript>C-glucose and <superscript>15</superscript>N urea using the cotton wick method. Plants were harvested at four dates depending on plant development. Representative soil samples were taken at harvest with a special drilling tool, considering the spatial distribution of pea roots. Results: Our results indicate that the quantity of C and N rhizodeposition did not change between flowering and maturity. About one third of the C and N rhizodeposits were present in microbial biomass and extractable C or the inorganic N pool of soil. When comparing this field study to a former pot experiment, a higher root-to-shoot ratio was detected; also the rhizodeposition-to-root ratio was altered in the field, questioning the assumption that results from pot experiments can be transferred to field conditions. Conclusions: Due to a higher below-ground C (BGC) and N (BGN) input compared to pot experiments, studies aiming at quantifying BGC and BGN input will have to be conducted under field conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Subjects :
- PEAS
BIOMASS
HARVESTING time
SOIL sampling
PLANT development
BOOTS
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 0032079X
- Volume :
- 443
- Issue :
- 1/2
- Database :
- Complementary Index
- Journal :
- Plant & Soil
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 139458292
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-019-04238-z