Written by cpm
As autumn-drilled crops wake up this spring, encouraging roots and tillering will be a priority on many soils. CPM looks at the effects of the winter and how to minimize the damage. The ability for plants to produce new roots is limited. By Lucy de la Pasture It’s not just growers who have had a pretty miserable time this winter. Many of the autumn crops that did go in the ground were drilled late and have spent most of the time sitting in cold, waterlogged soils with precious little potential for growth. ADAS crop physiologist, Dr Sarah Clarke, says that although growers could get onto light land, few autumn cereals were planted on heavy land around Gleadthorpe in Nottinghamshire. “Where crops have spent a prolonged period in soggy ground conditions, the likelihood is that yield potential will already be reduced.” One study found that wheat yields were reduced by 20-24%, she says, when exposed to around seven weeks of waterlogging. “When plants are waterlogged for an extended period, there’s a decrease in root proliferation and overall plant growth,” she explains. Soon after waterlogging, root metabolism shifts from aerobic respiration to the less efficient glycolysis to produce energy, leading to…
The post Spring agronomy – Roots may need a little help appeared first on cpm magazine.
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