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Managing for
 Healthy Roots




       Joel Gruver
 School of Agriculture
Western Illinois University
   j-gruver@wiu.edu
   http://www.slideshare.net/jbgruver/
The Furrow




             ROOTS
      The hidden half of agriculture
Bill Darrington (Persia, IA)
  Interesting example of a farmer with a
   root-focused management program.
How many of you regularly
   look at crop roots ?




  What do you look for?
Evidence of healthy roots

                                              extensive
   white color                             growth into the
                                               sub-soil
                        Healthy shoot
                       growth and good         minimal
proliferate in all
                            yields           evidence of
   directions
                                             deformities




                        Efficient use of
                        soil resources
Understanding corn root
                                 development


The seed roots stop
growing shortly after
   the coleoptile
 emerges from the
    soil surface.




  The nodal root system becomes visible at ~ V1.
   The nodal root system becomes the dominant
                   system by V6.
1926
4 weeks               Corn root development
                               documented in the 1920s

                        8 weeks



                                              16 weeks




If this was possible 90 years ago, just
     think what is possible today?


                                               7 feet deep !!
Corn College TV Episode 8 - Wednesday, Oct 20 2010
This episode digs deep with crown root development
Dig up a root ball
Dig up a root ball
  Remove brace roots
Dig up a root ball
  Remove brace roots

     Inspect crown roots
Evaluating
                                                   corn rootworm
                                                      damage




http://www.fontanelle.com/util/resources/news/real-word-agronomy
All you need to do to grow healthy roots
       is use rootworm resistant genetics… right??




When rootworm pressure is high, rootworm resistant
  genetics normally result in much healthier roots
Rootworm resistant genetics are not a silver bullet !
                                     Severe damage by corn
                                   rootworm larvae to roots of
                                     a corn rootworm hybrid




          http://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/icm/2006/11-13/btcorn.html
We have witnessed the historically low densities of
  European corn borers across Illinois and some nearby
states that are now believed to be linked to the widespread
     adoption of Bt corn hybrids. Will we see a similar
   phenomenon unfold with western corn rootworms? I
 suspect we might be headed down this road. Will western
corn rootworms adapt as they have repeatedly done so in
  the past? If we don't integrate management tactics, we
     could have the answer sooner than we would like.
U of I Corn Borer survey results
Sidewall compaction


       ?
Is this the solution?




     Waiting for drier soil
is the most important strategy
Sometimes it is valuable
                                           to dig a soil pit.
                                              John McGillicuddy
                                              IA crop scout




A pit will allow you to look deeper and see
  how the soil volume is being explored
You won’t know what is happening
underground unless you take a look…
All you need
          is a shop-vac
           and a hose!


Its just like going to the dentist!
Tillage systems
   affect root
  architecture




            Adapted from Hunt et al. (1986)
Long term no-till
                                  (w/ healthy soil biology)
             Intensive tillage




                                    Network
                   Plow pan            of
                                    biopores




Ontario Ministry of Ag and Food
Ken Ferrie’s perspective
As the root moves through the soil it tapers
down, but when it hits a sudden density
change, ‘it’s like a fly hit the screen. It’s too                     Vertical
tight and it twists, bends and runs                                   tillage tool
horizontally," said Ferrie.

"What causes the sudden density change?                 Ken Ferrie – Farm Journal

Compaction. If it hits a compacted layer, it turns
and runs on top of it."

Ferrie added the drastic change is caused by a
farm in horizontal tillage. "You can’t use horizontal
tillage without putting in a horizontal layer"
Horizontal tillage creates loose soil on top and a
firm shelf underneath, and the density change
creates difficulties for roots which are trying to
penetrate the firmer layer.
Cotton plant’s perspective




                             Sub-soil water
                             and nutrients




                                              Brady and Weil (2002)
My first wading pool
                 garden in July 2009




The watermelon root system on the title slide was exhumed from this pool in Septembe
Watermelon root system exhumed from a wading pool
Wading pools filled with compost are *not* an optimal rooting environment but
   are an example of the plasticity of plant root systems. With limited rooting
volume but adequate water and nutrients, it is possible to grow abundant crops.
Does this look familiar?



  Compaction         Saturated soil is
probably extends    less compressible
several feet deep      than wet soil
Which solution
would you use ?
Prevention through improved drainage maybe the most effective strategy

      Artificial drainage has greatly increased the
    number of days when soils are suitable for deep
                        root growth




                          but has also
                          contributed
                            to many
   Pollution of          environmental
  water resources          problems              Loss of SOM
WIU Allison Organic Research Farm – September 2007
January
February
Early May

Warmer and drier than soil
with other cover crops and
 almost no weed growth
Visual evidence of biodrilling
Canola root




Rapeseed root
The experiment was planted
  to corn on May 29 2008
     Corn following radish
established well, had the lowest
   in-row weed pressure and
   yielded about 10 bu more.

       Mechanism(s) of
    yield enhancement??
Chemical toxicities
can inhibit root growth




             Aluminum
              toxicity




                          Aluminum
                           toxicity
Understanding aluminum toxicity
                         Fe and Mn toxicities also
                            occur at lower pHs

                                   Toxic forms
                                     of Al are
                                   bioavailable
                                   at pHs < 5.5
                                               Aluminum toxicity
                                               is minimal above
                                                a water pH of 5.5




           http://www2.ctahr.hawaii.edu/tpss/research_extension/rxsoil/alroot.gif
What damaged these corn roots?




               B was included in
                starter fertilizer
http://www.sdstate.edu/ps/soil-lab/loader.cfm?csModule=security/getfile&PageID=788496
Galled root system of tomato infected with root-knot
 nematode, Meloidogyne sp., compared with non-
                infected root system




                  Root pathogens can
                   inhibit root growth
           http://www.agnr.umd.edu/users/nrsl/entm/nematology/images/eis143.jpg
Root knot juvenile penetrating a tomato root
Both strategies are important !
Feed the soil vs. Feed the crop???
 Unhealthy roots use nutrients inefficiently…
  Healthy roots need available nutrients !

                Healthy roots grow
                  in soils with a
                favorable balance      Acute
                 of air, water and      root
                soil organic matter
                                      disease



 Chronic root
 malfunction
Roots have many functions !
Absorptive network for limiting soil resources
of water and nutrients

Mechanical structures that support plants,
strengthen soil, construct channels, break
rocks, etc.

Hydraulic conduits that redistribute soil water
and nutrients

Habitats for mycorrhizal fungi, rhizosphere
and rhizoplane organisms
Carbon pumps that feed soil organisms and
      contribute to soil organic matter

             Storage organs

Chemical factories that may change soil pH,
    poison competitors, filter out toxins,
      concentrate rare elements, etc.

A sensor network that helps regulate plant
                 growth
H20




A continuous                 Solar energy
chain of water
                              drives the
 molecules is                  process
  pulled up
 through the                 Plants provide
    plant                     the conduit




                 H20
               H20
             H20
Understanding nutrient uptake


                                                      H20
              Root exudates
N, S, P   activate soil microbes                 Transpirational
                                                     stream
                                                      H 20
                                                     Diffusion
                                   Root growth
Nutrient uptake is an active and selective process
  outside cell




                                               inside cell
Rhizosphere

 Roots normally
 occupy < 1% of topsoil
 volume
The rhizophere is
normally < 10 % of soil
volume                    Zone of root
                           influence
Navigating the rhizosphere
                                                          End of the
                           Rhizoplane                     rhizosphere
                        Endo-
                     Rhizosphere    Ecto-Rhizosphere
Microbial activity




                                                                    > 90%
                                          < 10% of soil
                                             volume
                                                                    of soil
                                                                   volume




                                   A few millimeters

                                                                    (Lavelle and Spain, 2001)
Healthy
cowpea
nodule
 with a
  pink
interior
Legume
  nodules
  come in
many shapes
 and sizes
Lots of complicated biochemistry – very intensively studied!!


Legume
  love
 affair




                                                   Sarrantonio
Examples of rhizobia innoculant
Inoculation groups for commonly grown legumes
Alfalfa Group                       Alfalfa
    (Rhizobium meliloti)                Black medic
                                        Bur clover
                                        Button clover
                                        White sweetclover
                                        Yellow sweetclover
Clover Group                        Alsike clover
   (Rhizobium trifolii)                 Arrowleaf clover*
                                        Ball clover
                                        Berseem clover
                                        Crimson clover
                                        Hop clover
                                        Persian clover
                                        Red clover
                                        Rose clover*
                                        Subterranean clover*
                                        White clover
Cowpea Group                        Alyceclover
  (Bradyrhizobium japonicum spp.)      Cowpea
                                       Kudzu
                                       Peanut
Mycorrhizal associations
                      Ectomycorrhizae




                                         AM endomycorrhizae



Arbutoid
mycorrhizae




    Ericoid
    endomycorrhizae

                                  Orchid endomycorrhizae




                                           Lavelle and Spain (2001)
Increase nutrient (P) uptake          suppress pathogens




 Mediate plant competition           Improve soil structure




                               Glomalin
                               Superglue
                               of the soil ??
Trichoderma biofungicide product
competition           parasitism




         4 modes of action




antibiosis          induced resistance
Like many emerging
technologies with real potential
    - field results have been
           inconsistent
Radishes seeded with a push
 planter in late August 2008




 Bio-strip till


   September 2008
September 2009   Attempt #2
Tillage radish on 30” rows with oats on 7.5” rows
                November 2009
Radish planted on 30” rows using milo plates
            in mid-August 2010
It is normal for the fleshy root of cover crop radishes to rise
3 or more inches out of the ground. This is not a sign of compaction!
Large scale conventional grain producers
are starting to experiment with bio-strip-till.
                Ontario, Canada
Annual ryegrass
                   w/crimson clover


Annual ryegrass is a very deep rooted cover crop that has good
 tolerance of wet soils, combines well with other species and
     produces less above ground biomass than cereal rye

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Updated Roots presentation

  • 1. Managing for Healthy Roots Joel Gruver School of Agriculture Western Illinois University j-gruver@wiu.edu http://www.slideshare.net/jbgruver/
  • 2. The Furrow ROOTS The hidden half of agriculture
  • 3. Bill Darrington (Persia, IA) Interesting example of a farmer with a root-focused management program.
  • 4. How many of you regularly look at crop roots ? What do you look for?
  • 5. Evidence of healthy roots extensive white color growth into the sub-soil Healthy shoot growth and good minimal proliferate in all yields evidence of directions deformities Efficient use of soil resources
  • 6. Understanding corn root development The seed roots stop growing shortly after the coleoptile emerges from the soil surface. The nodal root system becomes visible at ~ V1. The nodal root system becomes the dominant system by V6.
  • 7.
  • 8.
  • 10. 4 weeks Corn root development documented in the 1920s 8 weeks 16 weeks If this was possible 90 years ago, just think what is possible today? 7 feet deep !!
  • 11.
  • 12. Corn College TV Episode 8 - Wednesday, Oct 20 2010 This episode digs deep with crown root development
  • 13. Dig up a root ball
  • 14. Dig up a root ball Remove brace roots
  • 15. Dig up a root ball Remove brace roots Inspect crown roots
  • 16. Evaluating corn rootworm damage http://www.fontanelle.com/util/resources/news/real-word-agronomy
  • 17. All you need to do to grow healthy roots is use rootworm resistant genetics… right?? When rootworm pressure is high, rootworm resistant genetics normally result in much healthier roots
  • 18. Rootworm resistant genetics are not a silver bullet ! Severe damage by corn rootworm larvae to roots of a corn rootworm hybrid http://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/icm/2006/11-13/btcorn.html
  • 19. We have witnessed the historically low densities of European corn borers across Illinois and some nearby states that are now believed to be linked to the widespread adoption of Bt corn hybrids. Will we see a similar phenomenon unfold with western corn rootworms? I suspect we might be headed down this road. Will western corn rootworms adapt as they have repeatedly done so in the past? If we don't integrate management tactics, we could have the answer sooner than we would like.
  • 20. U of I Corn Borer survey results
  • 22. Is this the solution? Waiting for drier soil is the most important strategy
  • 23. Sometimes it is valuable to dig a soil pit. John McGillicuddy IA crop scout A pit will allow you to look deeper and see how the soil volume is being explored
  • 24. You won’t know what is happening underground unless you take a look…
  • 25. All you need is a shop-vac and a hose! Its just like going to the dentist!
  • 26. Tillage systems affect root architecture Adapted from Hunt et al. (1986)
  • 27. Long term no-till (w/ healthy soil biology) Intensive tillage Network Plow pan of biopores Ontario Ministry of Ag and Food
  • 28. Ken Ferrie’s perspective As the root moves through the soil it tapers down, but when it hits a sudden density change, ‘it’s like a fly hit the screen. It’s too Vertical tight and it twists, bends and runs tillage tool horizontally," said Ferrie. "What causes the sudden density change? Ken Ferrie – Farm Journal Compaction. If it hits a compacted layer, it turns and runs on top of it." Ferrie added the drastic change is caused by a farm in horizontal tillage. "You can’t use horizontal tillage without putting in a horizontal layer" Horizontal tillage creates loose soil on top and a firm shelf underneath, and the density change creates difficulties for roots which are trying to penetrate the firmer layer.
  • 29. Cotton plant’s perspective Sub-soil water and nutrients Brady and Weil (2002)
  • 30. My first wading pool garden in July 2009 The watermelon root system on the title slide was exhumed from this pool in Septembe
  • 31. Watermelon root system exhumed from a wading pool
  • 32. Wading pools filled with compost are *not* an optimal rooting environment but are an example of the plasticity of plant root systems. With limited rooting volume but adequate water and nutrients, it is possible to grow abundant crops.
  • 33. Does this look familiar? Compaction Saturated soil is probably extends less compressible several feet deep than wet soil
  • 35. Prevention through improved drainage maybe the most effective strategy Artificial drainage has greatly increased the number of days when soils are suitable for deep root growth but has also contributed to many Pollution of environmental water resources problems Loss of SOM
  • 36. WIU Allison Organic Research Farm – September 2007
  • 39. Early May Warmer and drier than soil with other cover crops and almost no weed growth
  • 40. Visual evidence of biodrilling Canola root Rapeseed root
  • 41. The experiment was planted to corn on May 29 2008 Corn following radish established well, had the lowest in-row weed pressure and yielded about 10 bu more. Mechanism(s) of yield enhancement??
  • 42. Chemical toxicities can inhibit root growth Aluminum toxicity Aluminum toxicity
  • 43. Understanding aluminum toxicity Fe and Mn toxicities also occur at lower pHs Toxic forms of Al are bioavailable at pHs < 5.5 Aluminum toxicity is minimal above a water pH of 5.5 http://www2.ctahr.hawaii.edu/tpss/research_extension/rxsoil/alroot.gif
  • 44.
  • 45. What damaged these corn roots? B was included in starter fertilizer
  • 47. Galled root system of tomato infected with root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne sp., compared with non- infected root system Root pathogens can inhibit root growth http://www.agnr.umd.edu/users/nrsl/entm/nematology/images/eis143.jpg
  • 48. Root knot juvenile penetrating a tomato root
  • 49.
  • 50. Both strategies are important ! Feed the soil vs. Feed the crop??? Unhealthy roots use nutrients inefficiently… Healthy roots need available nutrients ! Healthy roots grow in soils with a favorable balance Acute of air, water and root soil organic matter disease Chronic root malfunction
  • 51. Roots have many functions !
  • 52. Absorptive network for limiting soil resources of water and nutrients Mechanical structures that support plants, strengthen soil, construct channels, break rocks, etc. Hydraulic conduits that redistribute soil water and nutrients Habitats for mycorrhizal fungi, rhizosphere and rhizoplane organisms
  • 53. Carbon pumps that feed soil organisms and contribute to soil organic matter Storage organs Chemical factories that may change soil pH, poison competitors, filter out toxins, concentrate rare elements, etc. A sensor network that helps regulate plant growth
  • 54. H20 A continuous Solar energy chain of water drives the molecules is process pulled up through the Plants provide plant the conduit H20 H20 H20
  • 55. Understanding nutrient uptake H20 Root exudates N, S, P activate soil microbes Transpirational stream H 20 Diffusion Root growth
  • 56. Nutrient uptake is an active and selective process outside cell inside cell
  • 57. Rhizosphere Roots normally occupy < 1% of topsoil volume The rhizophere is normally < 10 % of soil volume Zone of root influence
  • 58. Navigating the rhizosphere End of the Rhizoplane rhizosphere Endo- Rhizosphere Ecto-Rhizosphere Microbial activity > 90% < 10% of soil volume of soil volume A few millimeters (Lavelle and Spain, 2001)
  • 60. Legume nodules come in many shapes and sizes
  • 61. Lots of complicated biochemistry – very intensively studied!! Legume love affair Sarrantonio
  • 62. Examples of rhizobia innoculant
  • 63. Inoculation groups for commonly grown legumes Alfalfa Group Alfalfa (Rhizobium meliloti) Black medic Bur clover Button clover White sweetclover Yellow sweetclover Clover Group Alsike clover (Rhizobium trifolii) Arrowleaf clover* Ball clover Berseem clover Crimson clover Hop clover Persian clover Red clover Rose clover* Subterranean clover* White clover Cowpea Group Alyceclover (Bradyrhizobium japonicum spp.) Cowpea Kudzu Peanut
  • 64. Mycorrhizal associations Ectomycorrhizae AM endomycorrhizae Arbutoid mycorrhizae Ericoid endomycorrhizae Orchid endomycorrhizae Lavelle and Spain (2001)
  • 65. Increase nutrient (P) uptake suppress pathogens Mediate plant competition Improve soil structure Glomalin Superglue of the soil ??
  • 67. competition parasitism 4 modes of action antibiosis induced resistance
  • 68. Like many emerging technologies with real potential - field results have been inconsistent
  • 69. Radishes seeded with a push planter in late August 2008 Bio-strip till September 2008
  • 70. September 2009 Attempt #2
  • 71. Tillage radish on 30” rows with oats on 7.5” rows November 2009
  • 72. Radish planted on 30” rows using milo plates in mid-August 2010
  • 73. It is normal for the fleshy root of cover crop radishes to rise 3 or more inches out of the ground. This is not a sign of compaction!
  • 74. Large scale conventional grain producers are starting to experiment with bio-strip-till. Ontario, Canada
  • 75. Annual ryegrass w/crimson clover Annual ryegrass is a very deep rooted cover crop that has good tolerance of wet soils, combines well with other species and produces less above ground biomass than cereal rye