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Published online 1 March 1977
Published in Agron J 69:269-274 (1977)
© 1977 American Society of Agronomy
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Field-Measured Water Uptake of Sudangrass Roots as Affected by Fertilization1

H. Flühler, M. S. Ardakani, T. E. Szuszkiewicz and L. H. Stolzy2

Cultural practices could affect the flow of water and solutes toward groundwater. In this field experiment we analyzed the effect of fertilization on water uptake of sudangrass (Sorghum vulgure sudanense, Germain's piper cultivar) and its indirect influence on deep drainage and nitrate leaching. Root water uptake was calculated as sink term in the continuity equation using successive measurements of water content and matric potential profiles in connection with field measured hydraulic conductivity functions. The experiment was conducted in three field plots on Hanford fine sandy loam (coarse-loamy, mixed, thermic, Typic, Xerorthent).

Fertilization increased dry matter production and water uptake significantly and reduced deep drainage and nitrate leaching. Water uptake patterns and root length distribution was not correlated. Mainly due to fertilization with nitrate nitrogen, the evapotranspiration approximated the amount of irrigation water applied. These results indicate that optimum water and fertilizer use and minimum groundwater pollution per unit crop production are intimately linked together.

Key Words: Nitrate leaching • Unsaturated conductivity • Evapotranspiration • Root water extraction

1 This paper is part of a cooperative investigation between the Univ. of California, Riverside and Berkeley, conducted at the Kearney Horticultural Field Stn., Parlier, Calif. The project was supported in part by the National Science Foundation, Grant No. GI 34733X. The senior author was supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation.

2 Assistant research soil physicist, Univ. of California, Riverside; assistant research soil chemist, Univ. of California, Berkeley; staff research associate, and professor of soil physics, Univ. of California, Riverside.

Received for publication March 1, 1976.




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The SCI Journals Crop Science Vadose Zone Journal
Journal of Natural Resources
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Journal of Plant Registrations Journal of
Environmental Quality		 The Plant Genome
Copyright © 1977 by the American Society of Agronomy.