Plant Soil Environ., 2006, 52(7):308-313 | DOI: 10.17221/3446-PSE

The effect of nitrogen fertilization on root distribution of winter wheat

P. Svoboda, J. Haberle
Research Institute of Crop Production, Prague-Ruzyne, Czech Republic

The effect of nitrogen fertilization on root length (RL) distribution of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) was investigated. The study was conducted in Prague-Ruzyne on clay loam Chernozemic soil in the years 1996-2003. Two (N0, N1) and three (N0, N1, N2) treatments, unfertilized (N0), fertilized with 100 kg (N1) and 200 kg N/ha (N2) were studied in 1996-2000 and 2001-2003, respectively. Nitrogen rate 100 kg/ha had no effect on RL in soil layers (P > 0.1) in years 1996-2000 and 2002-2003 and there was not significant interaction between N treatment and soil layer except for year 1998 (P < 0.01). Nitrogen fertilization affected RL distribution significantly (P = 0.013) only in 2001 due to reduction of root growth in subsoil layers in treatment N2 (200 kg N/ha) in comparison with N0 and N1. The effect of N fertilization on total RL in rooted soil volume was insignificant. There was a significant effect of year on total RL (P < 0.01) but not of interaction of year and N treatment. Roots reached, with the exception of two years, the depth between 100 and 130 cm. Nitrogen fertilization (N1) had no effect (P = 0.59) on rooting depth (RD) in years 1996-2000 but there was a significant effect of interaction between year and N fertilization on RD (P < 0.01). In the second experimental series (2001-2003) N fertilization rate 200 kg N/ha significantly reduced maximum RD (P < 0.01) in comparison with N0 and N1. The year had highly significant effect on RD.

Keywords: root length; distribution; rooting depth; nitrogen; subsoil; Triticum aestivum L.

Published: July 31, 2006  Show citation

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Svoboda P, Haberle J. The effect of nitrogen fertilization on root distribution of winter wheat. Plant Soil Environ. 2006;52(7):308-313. doi: 10.17221/3446-PSE.
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