Summary
Characterization of root growth and distribution is fundamental in explaining crop responses to irrigation and in determining appropriate management of irrigation systems, particularly with drip systems since it is widely believed that drip irrigation may limit the extent of root development. An experiment was conducted to study root distribution of sweet corn grown under high frequency surface (S) and subsurface (SS) drip irrigation, fertilized daily through drip systems at three phosphorus levels of P0 (no injected P), P1 (P injected at 67 kg/ha) and P2 (P injected at 134 kg/ha). Root sampling at the end of the growing season indicated that: (1) Root extension continued at depths in excess of 2 m in both the surface and subsurface drip at all P levels. (2) The greatest differences between SS and S treatments were observed in the top 45 cm depth. Higher root length density was observed in the surface 30 cm in S plots while the sweet corn in the SS plots had greater root length density than S plots below 30 cm, and (3) the greater root length density in the SS irrigated sweet corn was not reflected in a similar increase in total above-ground dry matter.
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This project was partially supported by a grant from BARD Project no I-1116-86
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Phene, C.J., Davis, K.R., Hutmacher, R.B. et al. Effect of high frequency surface and subsurface drip irrigation on root distribution of sweet corn. Irrig Sci 12, 135–140 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00192284
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00192284