Abstract
Phyllostachys praecox bamboo stands significantly recede after 3 or 4 years using an organic-material mulching technique consecutively. We hypothesized that the bamboo recession is caused by the up-floating of underground rhizome stimulated by soil hypoxia through the mulching technique. This study aimed to validate this hypothesis by field investigation. Bamboo underground rhizome distribution in the soil profile of P. praecox subjected to various mulching times was investigated. Results showed that bamboo rhizome weights and lengths increased with increased mulching time. However, after 4 years of mulching, the number of fresh rhizomes decreased significantly, and more than 50% of rhizomes floated upward to the shallow soil layer (0–10 cm). Moreover, the 0–10 cm soil layer suffered severe acidification that severely impeded bamboo-rhizome growth. The soil hypoxia induced by the mulching technique must be responsible for the bamboo rhizome up-floating. We confirmed that bamboo rhizome up-floating was the critical factor that caused the bamboo growth to recede under the mulching technique. Therefore, managing this bamboo rhizome up-floating is the key to sustainable bamboo production. The effect of soil hypoxia in the absence of flooding or waterlogging on plant root growth also warrants further and extensive study.
Highlights
With modern agricultural progress, intensive crop management, such as fertilization, deinsectization, irrigation, and continuous cropping, has greatly influenced crop growth, yield, and quality
We hypothesized that the bamboo recession was closely related to the underground rhizome and the soil associated with the mulching technique
cation exchange capacity (CEC) displayed the same pattern as Soil organic matter (SOM) in all the treatments and profiles, but the largest CEC was noted at T4 as 26.58 cmol(+) kg−1
Summary
Intensive crop management, such as fertilization, deinsectization, irrigation, and continuous cropping, has greatly influenced crop growth, yield, and quality. Given its high quality and economic profit, the bamboo is intensively cultivated by organic material mulching[1]. This technique was first developed in the 1980s in Lin’an City, Zhejiang Province, China. Only 1/4 of the bamboo area can be mulched every year in Lin’an City[3] Such common phenomenon indicated that the bamboo recession is critical to the sustainable production by organic material mulching. We aimed to thoroughly understand the bamboo recession induced by the mulching technique and provide a basis for countermeasures Such a study would be interesting worldwide for a new understanding of soil hypoxia in absence of flooding or waterlogging
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