Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of sixty years of contrasting fertilization treatments on the roots of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) at sites with different soil and climate conditions. The depth and length density distribution of the wheat roots were determined between 2014 and 2016 in a crop rotation experiment established in 1955 at three sites: Lukavec, Čáslav, and Ivanovice (Czech Republic). Three fertilization treatments were examined: Zero fertilization (N0), organic (ORG) fertilization, and mineral (MIN) fertilization. The fertilization, site, and year all had a significant effect on the total root length (TRL). The average TRL per square meter reached 30.2, 37.0, and 46.1 km with the N0, ORG, and MIN treatments at Lukavec, respectively, which was the site with the lightest soil and the coldest climate. At Čáslav and Ivanovice (warmer sites with silt and loamy soils), the average TRL per square meter reached 41.2, 42.4, and 47.7 km at Čáslav and 49.2, 55.3, and 62.9 km at Ivanovice with the N0, MIN, and ORG treatments, respectively. The effect of fertilization on the effective root depth (EfRD), the depth at which the root length density dropped below 2.0 cm cm−3, was significant, while the maximum root depth (RMD) was only marginally affected. With the sites and years averaged, the MIN-treated plants showed a greater EfRD (102.2 cm) in comparison to the N0 (81.8 cm) and ORG (93.5 cm) treatments. The N0 treatment showed no signs of an adaptive reaction to the root system, with potential improvement for nutrient acquisition, while optimal fertilization contributed to the potential for resource depletion from the soil profile.
Highlights
Long-term field experiments (LTEs) are typically established to examine the effect of cropping systems upon the crop yield, product quality, and soil properties
The root density was calculated based on the root length and the volume of the soil sample and expressed in cm cm−3; the total root length (TRL) in the 0–120 cm zone was calculated in km m−2
The root density was calculated based on the root length and the volume of the soil sample and expressed in cm cm−3 ; the total root length (TRL) in the 0–120 cm zone was calculated in km m−2
Summary
Long-term field experiments (LTEs) are typically established to examine the effect of cropping systems (e.g., crop rotations, mineral, and organic fertilization, soil tillage, and management of postharvest residues) upon the crop yield, product quality, and soil properties. The purpose of LTEs is to design productive, effective, and profitable cropping systems and practices, while maintaining long-term soil fertility and minimizing any possible negative impacts on the environment [1,2,3]. The second-longest long-term fertilization trial in the world (the Eternal Rye Experiment in Halle, Germany) was started in 1878 by Julius Kühn [5]. Many such experiments were established around the middle of the 20th century in connection with the intensification of crop production and the increasing importance of soil fertility for new high-yield genotypes [2,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12].
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