Responses of wheat plants in terms of soil water content, bulk density, salinity, and root growth under different planting systems and various irrigation frequencies

• Published in: Journal of plant nutrition 2010-04, Vol.33 (5-8), p.874-888
• Main Authors: Pahlavan-Rad, M.R, Movahedi-Naeini, S.A.R, Pessarakli, Mohammad
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; bed shape; Biological and medical sciences; bulk density; cropping systems; Economic plant physiology; electrical conductivity; evaporation; frequency; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Irrigation; irrigation intervals; irrigation scheduling; irrigation systems; loamy sand soils; Metabolism; Metabolism. Physicochemical requirements; Nutrition. Photosynthesis. Respiration. Metabolism; Physical properties; Physics, chemistry, biochemistry and biology of agricultural and forest soils; Plant physiology and development; root density; root growth; roots; row spacing; Salinity; seedbeds; soil density; soil depth; soil penetration resistance; soil salinity; Soil science; Soil sciences; soil water content; TDR; Triticum aestivum; Water and solute dynamics; wheat
• ISSN: 0190-4167; 1532-4087
• DOI: 10.1080/01904161003654105

The effects of irrigation water rates and seed bed shapes on changes in soil water and salinity status, bulk density, root growth and dry matter (DM) weights of wheat plants (Triticum aestivum L.) were investigated with a split plot design in a field trial in Zahak Agricultural Research Station in Sistan, Iran in 2005. Irrigation intervals after 80 and 160 mm evaporation from class A evaporation pan were used as main plot. Flat surface, single, triple, and six-row beds with a 20 cm row space were used as subplots. Each treatment was replicated four times. Volumetric soil water content and soil electrical conductivity (EC) were measured using Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) at 0 -20, 20 -40 and 40 -60 cm depths at nine different times during the growing season. Soil water contents were also measured at 0 -10 and 10 -20 cm depths using standard sampling rings at four different times. The three and six-row beds increased the EC of the saturated paste extract with the more frequent irrigation intervals in this coarse textured soil. Soil water content, DM, and root density were always greater with the more frequent irrigations (shorter irrigation intervals). Root density was greatest in 0 -20 cm depth with the single row bed treatment. Grain yield and root density were greatest with single row bed treatment due to the bed shape at the root development stage (possibly due to a reduced mechanical resistance). A greater soil water content by the short irrigation interval increased grain yield and root density via reducing mechanical resistance. With the loamy sand, bulk density and mechanical resistance increased rapidly after cultivation. Bed shape at root development stage might have enhanced root growth and the crop yields. Apparently, mechanical resistance was the most limiting factor with these loamy sand soils than salinity.