Rooting systems of oilseed and pulse crops. II: Vertical distribution patterns across the soil profile

Abstract Root distribution patterns in the soil profile are the important determinant of the ability of a crop to acquire water and nutrients for growth. This study was to determine the root distribution patterns of selected oilseeds and pulses that are widely adapted in semiarid northern Great Plains. We hypothesized that root distribution patterns differed between oilseed, pulse, and cereal crops, and that the magnitude of the difference was influenced by water availability. A field experiment was conducted in 2006 and 2007 near Swift Current (50°15′N, 107°44′W), Saskatchewan, Canada. Three oilseeds [canola ( Brassica napus L.), flax ( Linum usitatissimum L.), mustard ( Brassica juncea L.)], three pulses [chickpea ( Cicer arietinum L.), field pea ( Pisum sativum L.), lentil ( Lens culinaris )], and spring wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) were hand-planted in lysimeters of 15 cm in diameter and 100 cm in length which were pushed into soil with a hydraulic system. Crops were evaluated under low- (natural rainfall) and high- (rainfall + irrigation) water conditions. Vertical distribution of root systems was determined at the late-flowering stage. A large portion (>90%) of crop roots was mainly distributed in the 0–60 cm soil profile and the largest amount of crop rooting took place in the top 20 cm soil increment. Pulses had larger diameter roots across the entire soil profile than oilseeds and wheat. Canola had 28% greater root length and 110% more root tips in the top 10 cm soil and 101% larger root surface area in the 40 cm soil under high-water than under low-water conditions. In 2007, drier weather stimulated greater root growth for oilseeds in the 20–40 cm soil and for wheat in the 0–20 cm soil, but reduced root growth of pulses in the 0–50 cm soil profile. In semiarid environments, water availability did not affect the vertical distribution patterns of crop roots with a few exceptions. Pulses are excellent “digging” crops with a strong “tillage” function to the soil due to their larger diameter roots, whereas canola is more suitable to the environment with high availability of soil water that promotes canola root development.

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