The hydraulic lift response under media moisture conditions on the cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.)

Abstract

Cashew was reported to have hydraulic lift (HL) ability, which vertically transferred water from the moister bottom layer to the drier upper one. However, it was tested under homogenous moisture conditions on the bottom soil layer, whereas its response under heterogeneous one was still unclear. Therefore, this study evaluated the HL response under heterogeneous moisture on the bottom soil layer on 10 months old cashew. It was conducted in the ISMCRI greenhouse from September to October 2020. The cashew was grown, and its roots were developed into three compartments filled with growth media: one top compartment (T) and two bottom compartments (B1 and B2). The media was subjected to four conditions 1) the whole media in moist conditions, 2) T was dry, B1 and B2 were moist, 3) T and B1 were dry, B2 was moist, and 4) the whole media were dry. The cashew HL was not significantly reduced in the condition where the half part of the lower root was in dry condition. This result indicated that cashew HL was strong enough under heterogeneous soil moisture conditions in the bottom layer. Thus, cashew was potential as a component of water bio-conservation of the land in the dry climate.