Morphological plasticity of cotton roots in response to interspecific competition with pecan in an alleycropping system in the southern United States |
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| Authors: | D S Zamora S Jose P K R Nair |
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| Institution: | (1) School of Forest Resources and Conservation, University of Florida, Newins-Zeigler Hall, PO Box 110410, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA;(2) Present address: University of Minnesota Extension Service, 708 Maple St., Brainerd, MN 56401, USA |
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| Abstract: | A study was conducted in northwest Florida, USA, to investigate root development and morphology of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) under pecan (Carya illinoensis K. Koch) trees in an alleycropping experiment. Root:shoot ratio, root biomass, total root length and root length density
were examined under three treatments: (1) barrier (separating belowground interspecific competition by trenching to a depth
of 120 cm and installing polyethylene barrier), (2) non-barrier (root systems were free to interact), and (3) monoculture
of cotton (without above and belowground interspecific competition with trees). Results indicated that plants in the barrier
and non-barrier treatments had lower root:shoot ratios compared to the monoculture treatment. Belowground competition for
resources between pecan and cotton in the non-barrier treatment resulted in 25 and 33% reduction of total root length (359 cm)
when compared to that of the barrier (477 cm) and monoculture (539 cm) treatments, respectively. The non-barrier plants also
exhibited the lowest root length density. Specific root length was highest for the monoculture (179 cm g−1) and lowest for the non-barrier treatment (146 cm g−1) with the barrier treatment being intermediate (165 cm g−1). Interspecific competition with pecan significantly altered root development and morphology of cotton plants. Research in
agroforestry should take into account the developmental differences in root systems of the associated crop species so that
better models incorporating nutrient and water uptake can be developed. |
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| Keywords: | Root– shoot ratio Root length density Specific root length WinRhizo |
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