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Agriculture
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Root-Soil Interactions in Organic Farming
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Root-Soil Interactions in Organic Farming

A special issue of Agriculture (ISSN 2077-0472). This special issue belongs to the section "Agricultural Soils".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2020) | Viewed by 28349

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Timo Kautz

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Albrecht Daniel Thaer-Institute of Agricultural and Horticultural Science Humboldt, University Berlin, 10099 Berlin, Germany
Interests: agronomy; crop roots; soil fertility; organic farming

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

According to the principles of organic farming, applications of plant available nutrients via soluble chemical fertilizers are avoided. Instead, organic farming generally aims to increase the acquisition of nutrients from the solid phase of soil based on the high contents of soil organic matter, high root length densities and high biological activity. Cropping strategies including crop rotation, the application of organic residues, and tillage practices that have been specifically adapted for organic farming. The cultivation of legumes generally has a high relevance. Within this general framework, there is a particularly high interest in root-soil interactions such as root architecture and their influence on soil structure, rhizodeposition processes, and the microbiome of the rhizosphere and its effects on plant health and nutrient mobilization.

This Special Issue focuses on the role of root-soil interactions in organic farming and other low-input farming systems, with a major emphasis on research belonging to the keywords listed below. This issue will lend to highly interdisciplinary studies embracing disciplines from agriculture and biology, to chemistry and soil science. All types of articles, such as original research, opinions, and reviews are welcome.

Prof. Dr. Timo Kautz
Guest Editor

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Agriculture is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • root growth
  • root development
  • root architecture
  • nutrient acquisition
  • biological nitrogen fixation
  • biopore formation
  • soil structure
  • microbiological activity
  • rhizosphere
  • root exudation
  • rhizodeposition

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 10596 KiB  
Article
Above and Belowground Relative Yield Total of Clover–Ryegrass Mixtures Exceed One in Wet and Dry Years
by Inga Dirks, Juliane Streit and Catharina Meinen
Agriculture 2021, 11(3), 206; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture11030206 - 3 Mar 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2650
Abstract
Grassland mixtures hold the potential for increasing biomass and productivity. In a field experiment, monocultures and mixtures of eight white clover (Trifolium repens L.) genotypes and perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) were analyzed over three years (2015, 2016, and 2018) for [...] Read more.
Grassland mixtures hold the potential for increasing biomass and productivity. In a field experiment, monocultures and mixtures of eight white clover (Trifolium repens L.) genotypes and perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) were analyzed over three years (2015, 2016, and 2018) for their species-specific aboveground and belowground biomass. Roots were analyzed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy to identify species-specific root mass, vertical distribution, and belowground relative yield total (RYT). Aboveground biomass decreased strongly from 2015 to 2018. Aboveground and belowground RYT were always significantly higher than one. Aboveground biomass overyielded in 2016 and 2018 compared to monocultures. Monocultures of perennial ryegrass displayed a significantly higher proportion of roots in shallow soil layers than white clover in two of the three examined years. In mixtures, these differences in vertical root distribution between both species were not present and perennial ryegrass, and white clover occupied similar vertical niches in 2015 and 2016. Interestingly, in the dry year 2018, white clover had a higher proportion of roots in shallow soil layers than perennial ryegrass in mixtures. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Root-Soil Interactions in Organic Farming)
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14 pages, 586 KiB  
Article
The Dynamic of Nitrogen Uptake from Different Sources by Pea (Pisum sativum L.)
by Andrzej Wysokinski and Izabela Lozak
Agriculture 2021, 11(1), 81; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture11010081 - 19 Jan 2021
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 4686
Abstract
Nitrogen uptake from various sources by plants capable of biological reduction of N2 in symbiotic systems with root nodule bacteria is influenced by many factors. The aim of the study was to examine the influence of the development stage and variety of [...] Read more.
Nitrogen uptake from various sources by plants capable of biological reduction of N2 in symbiotic systems with root nodule bacteria is influenced by many factors. The aim of the study was to examine the influence of the development stage and variety of pea (Pisum sativum L.) cultivated in years with different temperature and precipitation conditions on the dynamics of nitrogen uptake from the atmosphere (Ndfa), fertilizer (Ndff), and soil (Ndfs). Pre-sowing nitrogen fertilization with the 15N isotope and the isotope dilution method were used in the research. The highest rate of Ndfa uptake was noted between the three-internode stage and the stage of the first visible flower buds outside the leaves, while Ndff and Ndfs uptake was highest between the 4-leaf stage and the 3-internode stage. The lowest rate of Ndfa uptake was noted from sowing to the four-leaf stage, while Ndff and Ndfs uptake was lowest between the stage when 50% of pods were of typical length and full maturity. Nitrogen uptake from all sources was similar for all pea cultivars, but significantly depended on the variable temperature and precipitation conditions (years of the study). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Root-Soil Interactions in Organic Farming)
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11 pages, 2003 KiB  
Article
Root Distribution of Brassica napus and Vicia faba within the Sheath of Root or Earthworm Biopore
by Lisa Petzoldt and Timo Kautz
Agriculture 2021, 11(1), 61; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture11010061 - 13 Jan 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3769
Abstract
Root growth through biopores is facilitated by low mechanical impedance and nutrient enrichment due to the deposition of organic material at the biopore sheath. Plant roots and earthworms impact biopore sheath properties differently. However, the literature lacks a quantitative study of the root [...] Read more.
Root growth through biopores is facilitated by low mechanical impedance and nutrient enrichment due to the deposition of organic material at the biopore sheath. Plant roots and earthworms impact biopore sheath properties differently. However, the literature lacks a quantitative study of the root distribution within the sheath of pores, which were originated by taproots or earthworms. According to previous literature on pore connectivity, it can be hypothesized that precrops encourage root growth into the biopore sheath in comparison to an earthworm characterized sheath. A pot experiment was performed to compare the root distribution of spring oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) and faba bean (Vicia faba L.) within the biopore sheath of two different biopore types. The biopore sheath was characterized by taprooted chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) or anecic earthworm (Lumbricus terrestris L.). Roots were sampled at the biopore lumen and at lateral distances of 0–2, 2–4, 4–8 (sheath) and 20–36 mm (bulk soil) from the biopore wall surface. In both pore types >50% of the root length (cm) and >70% fine roots of oilseed rape were found in a comparatively small soil area (Lumen + 2 mm). On the contrary, faba bean grew primarily through the bulk soil with >75% root length and rarely into the biopore sheath in both pore types. In both species there was a lateral decrease of the total nitrogen (Nt)-content from biopore wall (Mean ± SE: 0.061% ± 0.002%) to bulk soil (0.053% ± 0.002%), but no significant difference between the pore types. The results of the current study illustrate that the root growth of spring oilseed rape and faba bean was not encouraged by the precrop in comparison to the earthworm characterized sheath. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Root-Soil Interactions in Organic Farming)
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20 pages, 2270 KiB  
Article
Sugar Beet Shoot and Root Phenotypic Plasticity to Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium and Lime Omission
by Sofia Hadir, Thomas Gaiser, Hubert Hüging, Miriam Athmann, Daniel Pfarr, Roman Kemper, Frank Ewert and Sabine Seidel
Agriculture 2021, 11(1), 21; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture11010021 - 31 Dec 2020
Cited by 21 | Viewed by 4913
Abstract
In low input agriculture, a thorough understanding of the plant-nutrient interactions plays a central role. This study aims to investigate the effects of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) and liming omission on shoot growth as well as on topsoil root biomass, [...] Read more.
In low input agriculture, a thorough understanding of the plant-nutrient interactions plays a central role. This study aims to investigate the effects of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) and liming omission on shoot growth as well as on topsoil root biomass, growth and morphology (tuber and fibrous roots) of sugar beet grown under field conditions at the Dikopshof long-term fertilizer experiment (Germany). Classical shoot observation methods were combined with root morphology and link measurements using an image analysis program. Omission of the nutrients N, P and K as well as of liming led to a significant decrease in shoot growth. Tuber yield was lowest for the unfertilized and the K omission treatment. The root shoot ratio was highest in the N deficient treatment. In the K omission treatment, a strategic change from a less herringbone root type (early stage) to a more herringbone root type (late stage), which is more efficient for the acquisition of mobile nutrients, was observed. By contrast, a change from a more herringbone (early stage) to a less herringbone root type (late stage) which is less expensive to produce and maintain was observed in the unfertilized treatment. We conclude that sugar beet alters its root morphology as a nutrient acquisition strategy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Root-Soil Interactions in Organic Farming)
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11 pages, 999 KiB  
Article
Root Growth of Hordeum vulgare and Vicia faba in the Biopore Sheath
by Lisa Petzoldt, Miriam Athmann, Andreas Buechse and Timo Kautz
Agriculture 2020, 10(12), 650; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture10120650 - 19 Dec 2020
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2773
Abstract
Biopores provide nutrients from root debris and earthworm casts. Inside large biopores, root function is limited due to the lack of root–soil contact. However, the immediate surroundings of biopores may hold a key function as “hotspots” for root growth in the subsoil. To [...] Read more.
Biopores provide nutrients from root debris and earthworm casts. Inside large biopores, root function is limited due to the lack of root–soil contact. However, the immediate surroundings of biopores may hold a key function as “hotspots” for root growth in the subsoil. To date, sufficient quantitative information on the distribution of roots and nutrients around biopores is missing. In this field study, the biopore sheath was sampled at distances of 0–2, 2–4, 4–8, and 8–12 mm from the surface of the pore wall. The results show a laterally decreasing gradient from the pore towards 8–12 mm distance in root length density (RLD) of spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and faba bean (Vicia faba L.), as well as in total nitrogen (Nt)- and total carbon (Ct)-content. In the biopore sheath (2–12 mm), the share of roots with a diameter of less than 0.4 mm was 92% for barley and 89% for faba bean. The findings support the view that roots can utilize biopores to gain access to deeper soil layers and may use the sheath for nutrient uptake and entrance through to the bulk soil. However, especially for barley, the inner layer of the biopore sheath appeared to be more important for root growth than the sheath of farer distance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Root-Soil Interactions in Organic Farming)
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15 pages, 2962 KiB  
Article
Biopore-Induced Deep Root Traits of Two Winter Crops
by Ning Huang, Miriam Athmann and Eusun Han
Agriculture 2020, 10(12), 634; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture10120634 - 14 Dec 2020
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 3266
Abstract
Deeper root growth can be induced by increased biopore density. In this study, we aimed to compare deep root traits of two winter crops in field conditions in response to altered biopore density as affected by crop sequence. Two fodder crop species—chicory and [...] Read more.
Deeper root growth can be induced by increased biopore density. In this study, we aimed to compare deep root traits of two winter crops in field conditions in response to altered biopore density as affected by crop sequence. Two fodder crop species—chicory and tall fescue—were grown for two consecutive years as preceding crops (pre-crops). Root traits of two winter crops—barley and canola, which were grown as subsequent crops (post-crops)—were measured using the profile wall and soil monolith method. While barley and canola differed greatly in deep root traits, they both significantly increased rooting density inside biopores by two-fold at soil depths shallower than 100 cm. A similar increase in rooting density in the bulk soil was observed below 100 cm soil depth. As a result, rooting depth significantly increased (>5 cm) under biopore-rich conditions throughout the season of the winter crops. Morphological root traits revealed species-wise variation in response to altered biopore density, in which only barley increased root size under biopore-rich conditions. We concluded that large-sized biopores induce deeper rooting of winter crops that can increase soil resource acquisition potential, which is considered to be important for agricultural systems with less outsourced farm resources, e.g., Organic Agriculture. Crops with contrasting root systems can respond differently to varying biopore density, especially root morphology, which should be taken into account upon exploiting biopore-rich conditions in arable fields. Our results also indicate the need for further detailed research with a greater number of species, varieties and genotypes for functional classification of root plasticity against the altered subsoil structure. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Root-Soil Interactions in Organic Farming)
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17 pages, 1618 KiB  
Article
Vertical Root Distribution of Different Cover Crops Determined with the Profile Wall Method
by Roman Kemper, Tábata A. Bublitz, Phillip Müller, Timo Kautz, Thomas F. Döring and Miriam Athmann
Agriculture 2020, 10(11), 503; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture10110503 - 28 Oct 2020
Cited by 30 | Viewed by 5567
Abstract
Many benefits of cover crops such as prevention of nitrate leaching, erosion reduction, soil organic carbon enhancement and improvement of soil structure are associated with roots. However, including root characteristics as a criterion for cover crop selection requires more knowledge on their root [...] Read more.
Many benefits of cover crops such as prevention of nitrate leaching, erosion reduction, soil organic carbon enhancement and improvement of soil structure are associated with roots. However, including root characteristics as a criterion for cover crop selection requires more knowledge on their root growth dynamics. Seven cover crop species (crimson clover, winter rye, bristle oats, blue lupin, oil radish, winter turnip rape and phacelia) were grown in a two-year organically managed field experiment in Germany to screen them for root intensity and vertical root distribution. Root length density (RLD) and proportion of root length in large-sized biopores were determined before and after winter with the profile wall method. RLD and cumulative root length were analysed using a three-parameter logistic function, and a logistic dose-response function, respectively. Fibrous rooted winter rye and crimson clover showed high RLD in topsoil and had a shallow cumulative root distribution. Their RLD increased further during winter in topsoil and subsoil. The crops with the highest RLD in the subsoil were taprooted oil radish, winter turnip rape and phacelia. Bristle oat had intermediate features. Blue lupin had low RLD in topsoil and subsoil. Phacelia, oil radish, winter turnip rape and bristle oat showed the highest share of root length in biopores. These complementary root characteristics suggest that combining cover crops of different root types in intercropping may be used to enhance overall RLD for maximizing cover crop benefits. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Root-Soil Interactions in Organic Farming)
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