A Wet Excavation Method for Root/Shoot Studies of Pearl Millet on the Sandy Soils of the Sahel

Root/shoot relations of two cultivars of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) were studied on a sandy soil at Sadore in Niger using a wet excavation method. For the first 10 days after emergence (DAE), the length of the seminal root showed an exponential growth rate while plant height increased more or...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Experimental agriculture 1994-07, Vol.30 (3), p.329-336
Main Authors: Sivakumar, M. V. K., Salaam, S. A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions
Biological and medical sciences
Economic plant physiology
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Growth and development
Morphogenesis, differentiation, rhizogenesis, tuberization. Senescence
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Summary:Root/shoot relations of two cultivars of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) were studied on a sandy soil at Sadore in Niger using a wet excavation method. For the first 10 days after emergence (DAE), the length of the seminal root showed an exponential growth rate while plant height increased more or less linearly. The maximum rooting depth for millet was 168 cm and the maximum number of root axes and primary laterals, 172 per plant. Root length continued to increase up to 75 DAE, the maximum length exceeding 5000 cm per plant. The proportion of total day matter accumulated in the roots decreased from 30% in the early stages to less than 20% by maturity. The wet excavation method is a promising technique for the rapid removal of intact root systems of pearl millet from the sandy soils of the Sahel.
ISSN:0014-4797
1469-4441
DOI:10.1017/S0014479700024431