Distribution of root system of hop plants in hop gardens with regular rows cultivation

Abstract

Spatial distribution of the root system of hop (Humulus lupulus L.) in the soil profile is a less explored issue. However, it is known that it can play an important role in the development of new tillage technologies, fertilisation and irrigation, including the use of precision farming principles. In the period from 2015 to 2018, the distribution of the hop root system was evaluated on twelve hop plants of five Czech hop cultivars. The age of the plants ranged from 3 to 15 years. The evaluation took place in the Saaz region at regularly cultivated hop gardens. As part of the evaluation, the root systems of hop plants were removed from the soil profile and subsequently spatially reconstructed. With the help of infrared image analysis, the root intensity in the soil profile and the morphology of the root systems were determined. The root depth of the plants ranged from 1 m to 2.25 m. The lateral width of the hop root system ranged from 0.6 m to 1.5 m. As a result of the rows cultivation, the lateral development of the roots in the upper soil layers was limited. The results were confirmed using the infrared image analysis method to specify the distribution of the root system and the root density of hop plants in the soil profile.