Skip to main content
Log in

Growth dynamics of reed canarygrass ( Phalaris arundinacea L.) and its allocation of biomass and nitrogen below ground in a field receiving daily irrigation and fertilisation

  • Published:
Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Biomass and nitrogen in the roots, rhizomes, stem bases and litter of reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea L.) were repeatedly estimated by soil coring, and root growth dynamics of this potential energy crop was studied for two years using minirhizotrons. Results are discussed in relation to above-ground biomass and nitrogen fertilisation. Five treatments were used: C0, unfertilised control; C1, fertilised with solid N fertiliser in spring; I1, irrigated daily, fertilised as in C1; IF1 , irrigated as I1 and fertilised daily through a drip-tube system; IF2, as in IF1 but with higher N fertiliser rates. Biomass of below-ground plant parts of reed canarygrass increased between the first and second years. Up to 50% of total plant biomass and nitrogen were recovered below-ground. The highest proportions were found in C0. The calculated annual input via root turnover ranged between 80 and 235 g m-2. In absolute terms, up to 1 kg and 10 g m-2 of biomass and nitrogen, respectively, were found in below-ground plant fractions. High inputs of stubble and accumulated below-ground biomass will occur when the ley is ploughed, which will result in a highly positive soil carbon balance for this crop in comparison with that of conventional crops such as cereals.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Andrén O, Hansson A-C & Végh K (1993) Barley root growth and nutrient uptake from two soil types in a rhizotron with vertical and horizontal minirhizotrons. Swedish J agric Res 23: 115–126

    Google Scholar 

  • Andrén O, Kätterer T, Pettersson R, Flink M & Hansson A-C (1996) Nitrogen dynamics of crop and soil subjected to different water and nitrogen inputs, including daily fertilisation/irrigation — measurements and modelling. Plant and Soil 181: 13–17

    Google Scholar 

  • Andrén O, Lindberg T, Paustian K & Rosswall T (1990a) Ecology of Arable Land. Organisms, carbon and nitrogen cycling. Ecol Bull (Copenhagen) 40

  • Andrén O, Rajkai K & Kätterer T (1991) A non-destructive technique for studies of root distribution in relation to soil moisture. Agric Ecosys Environ 34: 269–278

    Google Scholar 

  • Andrén O, Rajkai K & Rajkai Végh K (1990b) Spatial variation of soil physical and chemical properties in an arable field with high clay content. Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Dept Ecol Environ Res, Rep 40

    Google Scholar 

  • Bragg PL, Govi G & Cannell RQ (1983) A comparison of methods, including angled and vertical minirhizotrons, for studying root growth and distribution in a spring oat crop. Plant and Soil 73: 435–440

    Google Scholar 

  • Buyanovsky GA & Wagner GH (1987) Carbon transfer in a winter wheat (Triticum aestivum) ecosystem. Biol Fert Soils 5: 76–82

    Google Scholar 

  • Dubois JP (1994) Uptake of macroelements by the helophyte Phalaris arundinacea L. Aquatic Sci 56(1): 70–79

    Google Scholar 

  • Ericson L, Kastberg S & Olsson R (1995) Energigräs — Rörflen. Slutrapport. Kvarkenrådet, Kommunförbundet Västerbotten, Umeå, Sweden

  • Figiel CR Jr, Collins B & Wein G (1995) Variation in survival and biomass of two wetland grasses at different nutrient and water levels over a six week period. Bull. of the Torrey Botanical Club 122(1): 24–29

    Google Scholar 

  • Hansson A-C (1987) Roots of arable crops: production, growth dynamics and nitrogen content. Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Dept Ecol Environ Res Rep 28

    Google Scholar 

  • Hansson A-C & Andrén O (1986) Below-ground plant production in a perennial grass ley (Festuca pratensis) assessed with different methods. J Appl Ecol 23: 657–666

    Google Scholar 

  • Hansson A-C & Andrén O (1987) Root dynamics in barley, lucerne and meadow fescue investigated with a mini-rhizotron technique. Plant and Soil 103: 33–38

    Google Scholar 

  • Hansson A-C, Andrén O, Boström S, Boström M, Clarholm M, Lagerlöf J, Lindberg T, Paustian K, Pettersson R & Sohlenius B (1990) Structure of the agroecosystem. In: Andrén O, Lindberg T, Paustian K & Rosswall T (eds) Ecology of Arable Land. Organisms, Carbon and Nitrogen Cycling. Ecol Bull (Copenhagen) 40: 41–83

  • Hansson A-C, Andrén O & Steen E (1991) Root production of four arable crops in Sweden and its effect on abundance of soil organisms. In: Atkinson D (ed) Plant Root Growth, pp 247–266. Special Publication Number 10 of the Britsh Ecological Society, Oxford: Blackwell Scientific Publications

    Google Scholar 

  • Hansson A-C & Steen E (1984) Methods of calculating root production and nitrogen uptake in an annual crop. Swedish J agric Res 14: 191–200

    Google Scholar 

  • Ingestad T & Lund A-B (1986) Theory and techniques for steady state mineral nutrition and growth of plants. Scand J For Res 1: 439–453

    Google Scholar 

  • Jenkinson DS & Rayner JH (1977) The turnover of soil organic matter in some of the Rothamsted classical experiments. Soil Sci 123: 298–305

    Google Scholar 

  • Johansson G (1992) Release of organic C from growing roots of meadow fescue (Festuca pratensis L.). Soil Biol Biochem 24(5): 427–433

    Google Scholar 

  • Kätterer T, Andrén O & Pettersson R (1998) Growth and nitrogen dynamics of reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea L.) subjected to daily fertilisation and irrigation in the field. Field Crops Res 55: 153–164

    Google Scholar 

  • Kätterer T, Hansson A-C & Andrén O (1993) Wheat root biomass and nitrogen dynamics — effects of daily irrigation and fertilisation. Plant and Soil 151: 21–30

    Google Scholar 

  • Klimešová J (1994) The effects of timing and duration of floods on growth of young plants of Phalaris arundinacea L. and Urtica dioica L.: an experimental study. Aquatic Botany 48: 21–29

    Google Scholar 

  • Landström S, Lomakka L & Andersson S (1996) Harvest in spring improves yield and quality of reed canary grass as a bioenergy crop. Biomass and Bioenergy 11(4): 333–341

    Google Scholar 

  • Martin JK & Kemp JR (1986) The measurement of C transfers within the rhizosphere of wheat grown in field plots. Soil Biol Biochem 18: 103–107

    Google Scholar 

  • Martin JK & Puckridge DW (1982) Carbon flow through the rhizosphere of wheat crops in South Australia. In: Galbally IE & Freney JR (eds) The Cycling of Carbon, Nitrogen, Sulphur and Phosphorus in Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecosystems, pp 77–81. Australian Academy of Science, Canberra

    Google Scholar 

  • Paustian K, Andrén O, Clarholm M, Hansson A-C, Johansson G, Lagerlöf J, Lindberg T, Pettersson R & Sohlenius B (1990) Carbon and nitrogen budgets of four agro-ecosystems with annual and perennial crops, with and without N fertilisation. J Appl Ecol 27: 60–84

    Google Scholar 

  • Russel EW (1973) Soil Conditions and Plant Growth, 10th edn. Longman, London

    Google Scholar 

  • SAS Institute Inc (1982) SAS user's guide: Statistics. SAS Institute Inc, Cary, NC

    Google Scholar 

  • Smucker AJM, McBurney SL & Srivastava AK (1982) Quantitative separation of roots from compacted soil profiles by the hydropneumatic elutriation system. Agron. J 74: 500–503

    Google Scholar 

  • Swinnen J, van Veen JA & Merckx R (1994) Rhizosphere carbon fluxes in field-grown spring wheat: Model calculations based on 14C partitioning after pulse-labelling. Soil Biol Biochem 26(2): 171–182

    Google Scholar 

  • Tilman D (1988) Plant strategies and the dynamics and structure of plant communities. Princeton: University Press, NJ, USA

    Google Scholar 

  • Upchurch DR & Ritchie JT (1983) Root observations using a video recording system in minirhizotrons. Agron J 75: 1009–1015

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Noordwijk M, de Jager A & Floris J (1985) A new dimension to observations in mini-rhizotrons: A stereoscopic view on root photographs. Plant and Soil 86: 447–453

    Google Scholar 

  • Welbank PJ, Taylor PJ & Williams ED (1974) Root growth of cereal crops. Rothamsted Experimental Station Report 2: 26–66

  • Wilson JB (1988) A review of the evidence on the control of shoot:root ratio in relation to models. Ann Bot 61: 433–449

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Thomas Kätterer.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kätterer, T., Andrén, O. Growth dynamics of reed canarygrass ( Phalaris arundinacea L.) and its allocation of biomass and nitrogen below ground in a field receiving daily irrigation and fertilisation. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 54, 21–29 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1009701422394

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1009701422394

Navigation