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Root Elutriator Used in Washing Roots

Corn Root Development with Varied Irrigation David J. Gleason, Daniel Plaza-Bonilla and Neil C. Hansen Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO. INTRODUCTION

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Root Elutriator Used in Washing Roots

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  1. Corn Root Development with Varied IrrigationDavid J. Gleason, Daniel Plaza-Bonilla and Neil C. HansenDepartment of Soil and Crop Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO • INTRODUCTION • Water is an extremely valuable and limited resource in the Western United States and irrigation is the largest water use. • Drought, declining groundwater, and competition from municipal and industrial users have led to water limited irrigation systems and conversion from irrigated to dryland cropping. • Understanding how timing of limited irrigation affects crop development is key to maximizing water use efficiency in limited irrigation systems • Promoting deep rooting may reduce drought stress and aid crop production under limited irrigation METHODS RESULTS • Pioneer P9512XR Hybrid • Randomized Complete Block Design with 3 irrigation treatments Full, Limited, Dryland and 4 reps. • Root samples taken in 20 cm increments to 1 m at three different plant growth stages. Separate soil cores were taken in the corn row and between corn rows and area weighted averages were calculated. • Roots were separated from the soil with a root elutriator • Roots surface area and root perimeter analyzed using a document scanner and Adobe Photoshop • Roots were oven dried for root mass • Soil moisture measured with CropSense Soil Moisture Monitoring system 20-40 cm Full Irrigation 20-40 cm Limited 20-40 cm Dryland Side By Side Comparison Limited Irrigation Full Irrigation HYPOTHESIS Limited irrigation corn will have a deeper and more extensive rooting system than fully irrigated corn because drier soils near the surface will promote root development deeper into soil moisture. Scanned images of roots from full irrigation, limited irrigation, and dryland systems. SITE INFORMATION Research was conducted at Colorado State University Agricultural Research, Development, and Education Center (ARDEC) Fort Collins, Colorado. Root Elutriator Used in Washing Roots Using Adobe Photoshop to select roots and discriminate debris by adjusting the ‘color range’ and ‘fuzziness’ tools. The ‘analyze’ tool is then used to quantify the root surface area and perimeter. Aerial View of Plots at ARDEC Linear Sprinkler Soil Moisture Dynamics Full Irrigation Limited Irrigation SUMMARY Root mass and root surface area both increased with increased irrigation levels. Full irrigation had deeper and more lateral root growth than drier treatments. The hypothesis of greater root mass under limited irrigation was not confirmed. Inspection of the images suggests that water stressed corn plants do have more fine roots, suggesting more root initiation. However, total root growth is limited by water stress in a way similar to above ground growth. Signs of Drought Stress in Limited Irrigation Corn Full Limited Dryland Annual Precipitation, cm 30 30 30 Irrigation Events 12 6 0 Total Irrigation, cm 40 20 0 Above Ground Biomass, Mg/ha 18.8 12.0 7.4 Corn Grain Yield, Mg/ha 10.4 9.8 3.4 Acknowledgements USDA-NRI-Agricultural Prosperity of Small and Medium Sized Farms Grant Program Dr. Joseph Benjamin, USDA-ARS, Akron, CO for guidance and use of the Root Elutriator. Ben Fisher and William Radell for technical assistance.

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