Effect of soil moisture on Haloxylon's root development

Abstract

Response of Haloxylon's root to soil moisture content was studied at Yazd, Shahid-Sadooghi Control Desert Research Station adjacent to manual Haloxylon spp. plantations. Nine lysimeters (120 cm diameter and 170 cm depth) with four hatchways at different depths (30, 60, 90 and 120 cm.) were made to sampling of soil and plant's root. Haloxylon's seedlings were planted in lysimeters after preparation of them. Moisture treatments contain: Pot capacity (control), 1/3 pot capacity and dry stress down after a year nursing of the seedlings. All experiments were conducted in a completely randomized design (CRD) with three replications. Water requirement content to reach the soil moisture to optimum level, provided by weighting of lysimeters weekly. Irrigation was avoided at dry stress treatment when plants were established completely. Treatments were continued for two growth seasons and the effects of them on root development (length viewpoint) were evaluated. After removing, washing and drying up the roots from lysimeters, total root weight was measured in each lysimeter separately and then, the effects of different treatments on it were studied. Results showed that moisture treatments have significantly affected the root weight (p = 0.1%). Different soil depths have also significantly affected the dry root weight at the same statistical level, whereas the effect of soil depth was not significant on root length.

Keywords

• Haloxylon
• lysimeter
• water stress
• root length development
• root weight development