Transpiration and nutrient uptake dynamics in maize (Zea mays L.)

doi:10.1016/S0304-3800(03)00102-9

Ecological Modelling

Volume 166, Issues 1–2, 1 August 2003, Pages 99-107

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0304-3800(03)00102-9 Get rights and content

Abstract

The study presents a simplified model for estimating nutrient uptake by roots in maize canopies. The results of field studies with a maize canopy grown on silty soil at Trnava site (south of the Slovak Republic) show that the uptake rates of N (nitrogen), P (phosphorus) and K (potassium) nutrients can be described by a linear relationship between a specific ion uptake velocity from the soil and the rate of transpiration. The linear relationships have relatively high correlation coefficients r=0.753 (N), r=0.95 (P), and r=0.849 (K) during the vegetation period of the year 1982. The relationship between nutrient uptake rates and the transpiration rate for the maize canopy was also found for the relatively dry season of 1981 when a loss of nutrients from plants was observed during the second part of the vegetation period. Correlation coefficients for 1981 (r=0.772 (N), r=0.926 (P), r=0.804 (K)) were close to those estimated for 1982.

Introduction

Optimisation of fertilisation plays an important role in attaining high and stable yields. This complex process is mediated by the interaction of a plant genotype with the soil, weather conditions, and agricultural technology. In order to specify soil–plant–atmosphere-system relationships, which include many internal parameters, mathematical models are used to estimate the dosage of macroelements application in time (Geypens and Vandendriessche, 1996, Jørgensen, 2000). Some of these models use the daily transpiration sums estimates to determine the total daily estimates of macroelements (such as N, P, K) consumed by plants (Grant, 1991, Franko et al., 1995, Kersebaum, 1995). This approach assumes that the nutrients are transported convectively with water through the plant xylem, due to gradient of water potential via soil–plant–atmosphere system. It is important that the transpiration flow rate that drives nutrient transport can be estimated relatively easily, by a variety of methods (Burman and Pochop, 1994, Novak, 1995).

Franko et al. (1995) showed that the above approximation is less successful in poor, dry soils when the plants experience nutrient stress. Active mineral uptake then occurs, through cell membranes, supported by cycling between xylem and phloem accumulation and translocation of nutrients in plant tissues, regulation of nutrient transport and incorporation of nutrients by plant metabolisms via signal molecules (Briskin, 1995, Jacoby, 1995, Forde and Clarkson, 1999, Jeschke and Hartung, 2000).

Nevertheless, it is generally accepted that the possible transport of nutrients in plants by the transpiration flux is the most important mechanism for a large extent of water and nutrient transport availability (Mengel and Kirby, 1982).

In view of the lack of knowledge that brings more detailed quantification of nutrient transport within plants, Franko et al. (1995) proposed a simple linear relationship between the transpiration flux and the mineral nutrient transport for the modeling purposes.

The aim of the present work is to verify this preliminary approach by determining relationships between the uptake of N, P, and K and the transpiration rate in a maize canopy, based on two season measurements at the Trnava site in the south of Slovak Republic (Vidovič et al., 1984).

Section snippets

Water uptake by roots

Movement of water in soils covered by a plant canopy is described by Richard’s equation, where the uptake of water by plant roots is accounted for a sink term (Feddes et al., 1974): $∂θ ∂t = ∂ ∂z k(h,z) ∂h ∂z +1 −S(z)$ where h is the water pressure head [L], θ is the volumetric water content [L³L⁻³], t is time [T], z is the vertical co-ordinate [L] (positive upward), k(h,z) is an unsaturated hydraulic conductivity function [LT⁻¹], S(z) is a sink term (root uptake term) [L³L⁻³T⁻¹], which quantifies the

Site description

The Experimental Station of the Maize Research Institute at Trnava, in Slovak Republic (48°23′N, 17°36′E, 146 m a.s.l.) is in a hot and semiarid region. The loamy soil was a Haplic Chernozem (FAO classification). The maize plants (Zea mays L.) were grown at 72,000 plants ha⁻¹ with a row spacing of 0.70 m. Industrial fertilisers were applied in two doses. The total amount 178 kg ha⁻¹ of nitrogen was applied. In October, was applied the dose 63 kg ha⁻¹; in April, before sowing, 115 kg ha⁻¹ of pure nitrogen

Methods

During the entire vegetation period, 10 plants in four replications were sampled every week for chemical analyses; in addition the dry weight of all plant organs was estimated. Plants were sampled at randomly distributed locations of the maize field. The nutrient accumulation was estimated per soil surface unit in the plant part above ground, in the root parts, and in the entire plant. Additionally, concentrations of ions NO₃⁻, NH₄⁺, H₂PO₄⁻, and K⁺ in soil were measured regularly every 3 weeks

Results and discussion

Fig. 1, Fig. 2 present the seasonal trends in N, P, and K content of the entire maize plants in both growing seasons. The dispersion in the data is partially caused by area variability of canopy properties as well as by leaching of nutrients from the above-ground parts of plants during heavy rainfall and the dropping of dry leaves after periods of drought due to premature senescence.

Content of N, P, K elements course during the 1981 growing period (Fig. 1) is characterised by the maximum

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Slovak Grant Agency (VEGA), Project 2 1084-91.

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Transpiration and nutrient uptake dynamics in maize (Zea mays L.)

Abstract

Introduction

Section snippets

Water uptake by roots

Site description

Methods

Results and discussion

Acknowledgements

Ecol. Model.

Ecol. Model.

Ecol. Model.

Agric. Water Manage.

Dynamics of nutrient uptake and aboveground phytomass in some winter wheat varieties at major growing sites in Hungary

Acta Agronom. Hung.

Field test of modified numerical model for water uptake by root system

Water Resour. Res.