Soil moisture relations at the tree/crop interface in black locust alleys

Abstract

A study was undertaken in Ohio to determine whether the presence of black locust hedgerows would increase water shortage on crop land. Water was applied to bare soil which had carried pure stand maize in the previous growing season, and to the previously established alley cropping plots, some of which had 100 cm deep below-ground fiberglass partitions to prevent root competition for soil moisture in the alleys. Direct soil evaporation was reduced by covering the soil with a black polyethylene sheet. Soil moisture remaining in the top 45 cm soil depth was monitored for 8 days. Soil 1 had a higher organic carbon content and contained more moisture than Soil 2, which had more gravel than Soil 1. In Soil 2 there was significantly less water in alleys without below-ground partitions than on bare soil. In alleys without below-ground partitions, the hedgerows reduced soil moisture content of the alleys without below-ground partitions, the hedgerows reduced soil moisture content of the alleys by about 8% on Soil 1 and 32% on Soil 2, after 8 days following water application. In the top 45 cm depth of Soil 1, the influence of the hedgerows in the same treatment was large within 76 cm of the hedgerows but declined farther inside the alleys. For Soil 2 which had more gravel in the lower soil layers, which prevented deep growth of black locust roots, the influence of the hedgerows was pronounced throughout the alleys but was also most marked within the 76 cm distance from the hedges.