Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Subsoil root activity in tree-based cropping systems

  • Published:
Plant and Soil Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

An increasing number of studies indicate that (i) nutrient and water resources can be abundant in the subsoil and (ii) trees have deep root systems that can possibly reach these resources. It is less clear whether subsoil resources are actually improving water and nutrient status of tree-based cropping systems and whether they are significantly increasing crop production and yield. To answer such a question, the distribution of nutrient and water uptake by trees needs to be quantified. So-called `root activity distributions' give valuable information about actual subsoil use by trees whereas studies on root length or mass distributions do not often correlate with uptake distributions. Despite the usually lower relative root activity in the subsoil compared to the topsoil per unit soil, the large volume of subsoil in comparison to mostly shallow topsoil is an important resource for crop nutrient and water uptake. The present study compares published root activity distributions using the model Activity=A max(1–k depth). The obtained regression constants k of 0.91–0.99 determined in this publication reflect the values computed by an earlier published survey for root biomass ranging from tundra to those of temperate forest biomes. Thus, tree crops can have shallow root activity and 75% of their total root activity in the first 0.1 m of soil, or very deep root activity with more than 90% below 0.1 m. Neither environmental factors (i.e., climate and soil properties available from these publications) nor plant species explain differences of root activity distributions with depth. The deepest root activity is found for fruit trees such as citrus, guava and mango. Shaded crops such as coffee and cacao tend to have shallower root activity than fruit trees. Monocots including oil palm, coconut or banana have root activity that can be both deep and shallow. Regional and temporal variations of subsoil root activity for the same tree species are significant and generally larger than differences between species. Root activity patterns of tree crops appear to be sufficiently flexible to allow for subsoil resource use. Consequently, management such as pruning, fertilization, liming and irrigation are shown to significantly affect subsoil root activity.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ahenkorah Y 1975 Use of radio-active phosphorus in determining the efficiency of fertilizer utilization by cacao plantation. Plant Soil 42, 429-439.

    Google Scholar 

  • Anilkumar K S and Wahid P A 1988 Root activity pattern of coconut palm. Oleagineux 43, 337-340.

    Google Scholar 

  • Badiyala S D, Pawasthi R P A and Anjan Kalia 1992 Root activity in kinnow mandarin (Citrus reticulata) using 32P in submontane Himalayan region of India. Indian J. Agric. Sci. 62, 751-757.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bojappa K M and Singh R N 1974 Root activity of mango by radiotracer technique using 32P. Indian J. Agric. Sci. 44, 175-180.

    Google Scholar 

  • Borchert R 1994 Soil and stem water storage determine phenology and distribution of tropical dry forest trees. Ecology 75, 1437-1449.

    Google Scholar 

  • Buresh J J and Tian G 1998 Soil improvement by trees in sub-Saharan Africa. Agrofor. Syst. 38, 51-76.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cahn M D, Bouldin D R and Cravo M S 1992 Nitrate sorption in the profile of an acid soil. Plant Soil 143, 179-183.

    Google Scholar 

  • Canadell J, Jackson R B, Ehleringer J R, Mooney H A, Sala O E and Schulze E D 1996 Maximum rooting depth of vegetation types at the global scale. Oecologia 108, 583-595.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carvalho M C S and van Raij B 1997 Calcium sulphate, phosphogypsum and calcium carbonate in the amelioration of acid subsoils for root growth. Plant Soil 192, 37-48.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chandra A, Singh R and Rathore V S 1979 P-32 study on root distribution in eureka round lemon in the submontane Himalaya region. Indian J. Agric. Sci. 49, 958-961.

    Google Scholar 

  • Comerford M B, Kidder G and Mollitor A V 1984 Importance of subsoil fertility to forest and non-forest plant nutrition. In Forest Soils and Treatment Impact. Ed. E L Stone. pp. 394-404. Proc. North Am. Forest Soils Conf., Knoxville TN. University of Tennessee.

  • Cox M S and Barber S A 1992 Soil-phosphorus levels needed for equal P-uptake from 4 soils with different water contents at the same water potential. Plant Soil 143, 93-98.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dambrine E, Loubet M, Vega J A and Lissarague A 1997 Localization of mineral uptake by roots using Sr isotopes. Plant Soil 192, 129-132.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dell B, Bartle J R and Tacey W H 1983 Root occupation and root channels of Jarrah forest subsoils. Aust. J. Bot. 31, 615-627.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dhandar D G and Singh R 1989 Root studies in grapefruit (Citrus paradisi Macf.) using radiotracer technique. Sci. Hort. 40, 113-118.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dijkstra F A and Smits M M 2002 Tree species effects on calcium cycling: the role of calcium uptake in deep soils. Ecosystems 5, 385-398.

    Google Scholar 

  • Faby R and Naumann W D 1986 Einfluß der N-Düngung von Apfelkulturen auf Nitratgehalte im Boden, stickstoffhaltige Reservestoffe im Baum und Ertrag. Z. Pflanzern. Bodenk. 149, 639-657.

    Google Scholar 

  • Farina M P W, Channon P and Thibaud G R 2000 A comparison of strategies for ameliorating subsoil acidity: II. Long-term soil effects. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 64, 652-658.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fernendez J E, Moreno F, Cabrera F, Arrue J L and Martinandra J 1991 Drip irrigation, soil characteristics and the root distribution and root activity of olive trees. Plant Soil 133, 239-251.

    Google Scholar 

  • Forde S T M 1972 Effect of dry season drought on uptake of radioactive phosphorus by surface roots of the oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.). Agron. J. 64, 622-623.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fox R L and Lipps R C 1955 Subirrigation and plant nutrition I. Alfalfa root distribution and soil properties. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. Proc. 19, 468-473.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gale M R and Grigal D F 1987 Vertical root distributions of northern tree species in relation to successional status. Can. J. For. Res. 17, 829-834.

    Google Scholar 

  • George S J, Mohan Kumar B, Wahid P A and Kamalam N V 1996 Root competition for phosphorus between the tree and herbaceous combonents of silvopastoral systems in Kerala, India. Plant Soil 179, 189-196.

    Google Scholar 

  • Haag D 1997 Root distribution patterns in a polycultural system with local tree crops on an acid upland soil in central Amazonia. MSc Thesis, University of Bayreuth, Germany, 88 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hansen P 1974 Drainage depth for apple trees. Tidsskrift Planeauvl 78, 46-52.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hartemink A E, Buresh R J, Jama B and Janssen B H 1996 Soil nitrate and water dynamics on sesbania fallow, weed fallow and maize. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 60, 568-574.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hase Y, Machida Y and Maotani T 1988 Influence of subsoil moisture on growth of Japanese persimmon and its fruit yield. Bull. Fruit Tree Res. Station (Akitsu, Japan) 7, 31-49.

    Google Scholar 

  • Huxley P A, Patel R Z, Kabaara A M and Mitchell H W 1974 Tracer studies with 32P on the distribution of functional roots of Arabica coffee in Kenya. Ann. Appl. Biol. 77, 159-180.

    Google Scholar 

  • IAEA 1975 Root Activity Patterns of some Tree Crops. Technical Report Series No 170, International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, Austria, 154 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Iyengar B R V and Keshava Murthy S V 1987 Spatial distribution of root activity in kagzi lime (Citrus aurantifolia, Swingle). Indian J. Hort. 44, 41-44.

    Google Scholar 

  • Iyengar B R V and Shivananda T N 1990 Root-activity pattern in sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) during different seasons. Indian J. Agric. Sci. 60, 605-608.

    Google Scholar 

  • Iyengar B R V, Keshava Murthy S V and Shivananda T N 1989 Root activity studies in grape (Vitis vinifera L.) using radioactive 32P. Indian J. Hort. 46, 148-153.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jobbágy E G and Jackson R B 2001 The distribution of soil nutrients with depth: global patterns and the imprint of plants. Biogeochemistry 53, 51-77.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jackson R B, Canadell J, Ehleringer J R, Mooney H A, Sala O E and Schulze E D 1996 A global analysis of root distributions for terrestrial biomes. Oecologia 108, 389-411.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jamludheen V, Kumar B M, Wahid P A and Kamalam N V 1997 Root distribution pattern of wild jack tree (Artocarpus hirsutus Lamk.) as studied by 32P soil injection method. Agrofor. Syst. 35, 329-336.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jayasree Sankar S, Wahid P A and Kamalam N V 1988 Absorption of soil-applied radiophosphorus by black pepper vine and support tree in relation to their root activities. J. Plant. Crops 16, 73-87.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jeschke W D and Pate J S 1995 Mineral nutrition and transport in xylem and phloem of Banksia prionotes (Proteaceae), a tree with dimorphic root morphology. J. Exp. Bot. 46, 895-905.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kotur S C, Iyengar B R V and Shivananda T N 1997 Distribution of root activity in young 'Alphonso' mango (Mangifera indica) trees as influenced by season and growth. Indian J. Agric. Sci. 67, 113-116.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kowalenko C G 1996 Interpretation of autumn soil tests for hazelnut. Can. J. Soil Sci. 76, 195-202.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kurien S, Goswami A M and Deb D L 1992a Influence of season of flush on root activity in citrus using 32P. Trop. Agric. 69, 306-314.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kurien S, Goswami A M and Deb D L 1992b Root activity of two citrus rootstocks assessed using radiotracer techniques. J. Hort. Sci. 67, 87-94.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lehmann J 2002 Nutrient flux control by trees for improving soil fertility in tropical agroforestry. In Management of Tropical Plantation-Forests and Their Soil-Litter System. Chapter 14. Ed. M V Reddy. pp. 351-377. Science Publishers Inc., Enfield, NH.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lehmann J and Muraoka T 2001 Tracer methods to assess nutrient uptake distribution in multistrata agroforestry systems. Agrofor. Syst. 53, 133-140.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lehmann J, Muraoka T and Zech W 2001 Root activity patterns in an Amazonian agroforest with fruit trees determined by 32P, 33P and 15N applications. Agrofor. Syst. 52, 185-197.

    Google Scholar 

  • Manderscheid B, Schweisser T, Lischeid G, Alewell C and Matzner E 2000 Sulfate pools in the weathered substrata of a forested catchment. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 64, 1078-1082.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marschner H 1986 Mineral Nutrition of Higher Plants. Academic Press, London, UK, 674 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Matschonat G and Matzner E 1995 Quantification of ammonium sorption in acid forest soils by sorption isotherms. Plant Soil 168-169, 95-101.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mekonnen K, Buresh R J and Jama B 1997 Root and inorganic nitrogen distribution in sesbania fallow, natural fallow and maize fields. Plant Soil 188, 319-327.

    Google Scholar 

  • Messenger A S and Hruby B A 1990 Response of interveinally chlorotic red maple trees treated with medicaps or by soil acidification. J. Environ. Hort. 8, 5-9.

    Google Scholar 

  • Odhiambo H O, Ong C K, Wilson J, Deans J D, Broadhead J and Black C 1999 Tree-crop interactions for below-ground resources in drylands: root structure and function. Ann. Arid Zone 38, 221-237.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pavan M A, Bingham F T and Peryea F I 1987 Influence of calcium and magnesium salts on acid soil chemistry and calcium nutrition of apple. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 51, 1526-1530.

    Google Scholar 

  • Peter I and Lehmann J 2000 Pruning effects on root distribution and nutrient dynamics in an acacia hedgerow planting in northern Kenya. Agrofor. Syst. 50, 59-75.

    Google Scholar 

  • Plamboeck A H, Grip H and Nygren U 1999 A hydrological tracer study of water uptake depth in a Scots pine forest under two different water regimes. Oecologia 119, 452-460.

    Google Scholar 

  • Poszwa A, Dambrine E, Ferry B, Pollier B and Loubet M 2002 Do deep tree roots provide nutrients to the tropical rainforest? Biogeochemistry 60, 97-118.

    Google Scholar 

  • Purohit A G and Mukherjee S K 1974 Characterizing root activity of guava trees by radiotracer technique. Indian J. Agric Sci. 44, 575-581.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ritchey K D, Feldhake C M, Clark R B and Sousa D M G 1995 Improved water and nutrient uptake from subsurface layers of gypsum-amended soils. In Agricultural Utilization of Urban and Industrial By-products. pp. 157-181. ASA Spec. Publ. 58. ASA, Madison, WI.

    Google Scholar 

  • Saiz del Rio J F, Fernandez C E and Bellavita O 1961 Distribution of absorbing capacity of coffee roots determined by radioactive tracers. Am. Soc. Hort. Sci. 77, 240-244.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sanchez P A 1995 Science in agroforestry. Agrofor. Syst. 30, 5-55.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schroth G 1995 Tree root characteristics as criteria for species selection and systems design in agroforestry. Agrofor. Syst. 13, 125-143.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schroth G 1999 A review of belowground interactions in agroforestry, focussing on mechanisms and management options. Agrofor. Syst. 43, 5-34.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schroth G, Rodrigues M R L and D'Angelo S A 2000 Spatial patterns of nitrogen mineralization, fertilizer distribution and roots explain nitrate leaching from mature Amazonian oil palm plantation. Soil Use Manage. 16, 222-229.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sheriff D W and Nambiar E K S 1995 Effect of subsoil compaction and three densities of simulated root channels in the subsoil on growth, carbon gain and water uptake of Pinus radiata. Aust. J. Plant Physiol. 22, 1001-1013.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sobhana A, Aravindakshan M and Wahid P A 1989 Root activity pattern of banana under irrigated and rainfed conditions. J. Nucl. Agric. Biol. 18, 117-123.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stone E L and Kalisz P J 1991 On the maximum extent of tree roots. For. Ecol. Manage. 46, 59-102.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stone E L and Comerford N B 1994 Plant and animal activity below the solum. In Whole Reglith Pedology. Proceedings of a Symposium, Minneapolis. pp. 57-74. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. Spec. Publ. No. 34. Madison, WI.

  • Sumner M E 1995 Amelioration of subsoil acidity with minimum disturbance. In Subsoil Management Techniques. Eds. N J Jayawardane and B A Stewart. pp. 147-185. Lewis Publishers, Boca Raton, FL.

    Google Scholar 

  • Toma M, Sumner M E, Weeks G and Saigusa M 1999 Long-term effects of gypsum on crop yield and subsoil chemical properties. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 39, 891-895.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ulrich A, Jacobson L and Overstreet R 1947 Use of radioactive phosphorus in a study of the availability of phosphorus to grape vines under field conditions. Soil Sci. 64, 17-28.

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Noordwijk M and Brouwer G 1991 Review of quantitative root length data in agriculture. In Plant Roots and their Environments. Eds. B L McMichael and H Persson. pp. 515-525. Elsevier, Amsterdam.

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Noordwijk M and Purnomosidhi P 1995 Root architecture in relation to tree-soil-crop interactions and shoot pruning in agroforestry. Agrofor. Syst. 30, 161-173.

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Noordwijk M, Widianto, Heinen M and Hairah K 1991 Old tree root channels on acid soils in the humid tropics: Important for crop root penetration, water infiltration and nitrogen management. Plant Soil 134, 37-44.

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Noordwijk M, Lawson G, Soumare A, Groot J J R and Hairiah K 1996 Root distribution of trees and crops: competition and/or complementarity. In Tree-Crop Interactions: A Physiological Approach. Eds. C K Ong and P Huxley. pp. 319-364. CAB International, Wallingford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vasu K, Varadan K M, Velayudhan K T and Thomas T 1994 Activity and distribution pattern of roots of Gliricidia sepium. J. Nucl. Agric. Biol. 23, 24-28.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wahid P A 2001 Radioisotope studies of root activity and root-level interactions in tree-based production systems: a review. Appl. Rad. Isotopes 54, 715-736.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wahid P A, Kamalam N V, Ashokan P K and Vidyadharan K K 1989a Root activity pattern of cashew (Anacardium ocidentale L.) in lateritic soil. J. Plant Crops 17, 85-89.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wahid P A, Kamalam N V, Ashokan P K and Vikraman Nair R 1989b Root activity pattern of cocoa (Theobroma cacao). J. Nucl. Agric. Biol. 18, 153-156.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wahid P A, Kamalam N V and Anilkumar K S 1993 Coconut. In Rooting Patterns of Tropical Crops. Eds. M A Salam and P A Wahid. pp 188-203. Tata McGraw-Hill, New Delhi.

    Google Scholar 

  • White A W 1982 Effects of topsoil-subsoil fertilizer and lime amendments on top and root growth of 'Stuart' pecan seedling in a simulated Norfolk soil profile. HortScience 17, 380-381.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yocum W W1937 Root development of young delicious apple trees as affected by soils and cultural treatment. Univ. Nebraska Agric. Exp. Stat. Bull. 95: 1-55.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Department of Crop and Soil Science, Cornell University, 909 Bradfield Hall, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA

    Johannes Lehmann

Authors
  1. Johannes Lehmann
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Lehmann, J. Subsoil root activity in tree-based cropping systems. Plant and Soil 255, 319–331 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1026195527076

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1026195527076

Search

Navigation