Effects of soil structure complexity to root growth of plants with contrasting root architecture

• DOI: 10.1016/j.still.2024.106023
• Publication Date: 2024-02-02T07:03:35Z
• Authors: Licida M. Giuliani; Paul D. Hallett; Kenneth W. Loades
• Keywords: Macropore; Soil structure; Bulk soil; Soil Compaction

Soil structure has a huge impact on plant root growth, but it is difficult to isolate from other soil properties in field studies, and generally overlooked laboratory studies that use sieved homogenised repacked soil. This study aimed compare shoot growth under controlled conditions where only varied. treatments used < 2 mm, packed uniform layers create homogenous structure. A heterogeneous was artificially formed aggregates created by breaking apart the homogeneous after intense compaction. Barley, peas Arabidopsis, selected for contrasting sizes, were grown three levels of compaction (1.25 g cm−3, 1.40 1.55 cm−3) both structured soils 10 days. Penetration resistance increased about 0.4 MPa at 1.25 cm−3 1.3 either quantified water retention characteristics X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) as complementary methods assess soil's pore size distribution properties. Heterogenous had 50% more macropores when compared soils. Pore complexity found be beneficial barley not Arabidopsis. Shoot biomass 65% soil, whereas Arabidopsis did differ significantly between any treatments. Chlorophyll, flavonoid, nitrogen content could measured or due size, minor differences observed structures. structural heterogeneity influenced many above-ground biomass, with impacts species-dependent likely caused interaction preferential macropores.