Agronomy Journal Journal of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Education
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

Published online 1 November 1966
Published in Agron J 58:563-566 (1966)
© 1966 American Society of Agronomy
677 S. Segoe Rd., Madison, WI 53711 USA
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Moore, A. W.
Right arrow Articles by Rhoades, H. F.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow Articles by Moore, A. W.
Right arrow Articles by Rhoades, H. F.
Agricola
Right arrow Articles by Moore, A. W.
Right arrow Articles by Rhoades, H. F.

Soil Conditions and Root Distribution in Two Wet Meadows of the Nebraska Sandhills1

A. W. Moore2 and H. F. Rhoades3

Root distribution and properties of two meadow soils in the Nebraska Sandhills were studied. Profile 1 was alkaline while profile 2 was acidic. Both sites carried some legumes but late-maturing grasses predominated at site 1 and ear/y-maturing grasses at site 2.

Soil moisture was related to water-table level. Soil temperatures at the 4-in. depth remained between 60 and 75F for most of the growing season. Soil aeration was good throughout the growing season, the oxygen content to a depth of 2 to 3 feet rarely falling below 15%.

The broad pattern of root distribution in both soils consisted of a heavy concentration of roots near the surface and a rapid decline with depth. The total weight of roots to a depth of approximately 4 feet was 5.5 and 7.3 tons per acre for soils 1 and 2 respectively. One-half to two-thirds of the roots were found in the surface 2 inches. This broad pattern may be attributed to the influence of a high, fluctuating water table.

Soil chemical properties appeared to be the dominant factors resulting in differences in root distribution between the two soils. Grass root penetration virtually ceased on reaching sand low in nutrients.

1 Published with the approval of the Director as paper No. 1760, Journal Series, Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station.

2 Present address: Division of Soils, C.S.I.R.O., Cunningham Laboratory, St. Lucia, Queensland, Australia.

3 Deceased, formerly Professor of Agronomy, University of Nebraska.

Received for publication October 9, 1965.




HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
The SCI Journals Crop Science Vadose Zone Journal
Journal of Natural Resources
and Life Sciences Education		 Soil Science Society of America Journal
Journal of Plant Registrations Journal of
Environmental Quality		 The Plant Genome
Copyright © 1966 by the American Society of Agronomy.