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Using sap flow gauges to quantify water uptake by tree roots from beneath the crop rooting zone in agroforestry systems

Using sap flow gauges to quantify water uptake by tree roots from beneath the crop rooting zone... Grevillea (Grevillea robusta A. Cunn.; Proteaceae) is used in agroforestry in many areas of the highlands of East and Central Africa, and is reported to be mainly deep rooted, with few shallow roots and correspondingly low levels of competition with associated crops for water and nutrients. To examine the extent of below-ground complementarily in water use between grevillea and cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.; Leguminosae), experiments were carried out at the International Centre for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF) Field Centre at Machakos, Kenya. Sap flux was measured using heat balance gauges attached to the stems of young grevillea trees (10–18 months old), both before and after excavating the crop rooting zone (upper 60 cm of soil) around the stem base, in order to establish the capacity of the grevillea to extract water from below this zone. After excavation, the trees maintained sap fluxes of up to 85% of the unexcavated values, suggesting a high degree of below-ground complementarity. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Agroforestry Systems Springer Journals

Using sap flow gauges to quantify water uptake by tree roots from beneath the crop rooting zone in agroforestry systems

Agroforestry Systems , Volume 35 (1) – Feb 22, 2006

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References (21)

Publisher
Springer Journals
Copyright
Copyright
Subject
Life Sciences; Forestry; Agriculture
ISSN
0167-4366
eISSN
1572-9680
DOI
10.1007/BF02345326
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Grevillea (Grevillea robusta A. Cunn.; Proteaceae) is used in agroforestry in many areas of the highlands of East and Central Africa, and is reported to be mainly deep rooted, with few shallow roots and correspondingly low levels of competition with associated crops for water and nutrients. To examine the extent of below-ground complementarily in water use between grevillea and cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.; Leguminosae), experiments were carried out at the International Centre for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF) Field Centre at Machakos, Kenya. Sap flux was measured using heat balance gauges attached to the stems of young grevillea trees (10–18 months old), both before and after excavating the crop rooting zone (upper 60 cm of soil) around the stem base, in order to establish the capacity of the grevillea to extract water from below this zone. After excavation, the trees maintained sap fluxes of up to 85% of the unexcavated values, suggesting a high degree of below-ground complementarity.

Journal

Agroforestry SystemsSpringer Journals

Published: Feb 22, 2006

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