Soil erosion and moisture retention are major concerns of soybean growers. Conservation tillage provides residue cover to reduce soil loss and water evaporation. This study was conducted on a Tiptonville silt loam near Portageville, MO, USA. to determine the effect of tillage system and planting date on soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill] root growth and distribution. Tillage systems were conventional (clean) tillage, ridge tillage, and no-tillage. 'Essex' soybean was planted Roots were observed 30 and 60 days after emergence (DAE) using a minirhizotron system. Stand density was not affected by tillage in either year or by planting date in 1992. Tillage did not effect rooting depth in either year. In 1992, rooting depth 30 DAE was greater for the 14 May planting date than for either of the other two planting dates. No other planting date effects on rooting depth were found. Among soil depths, root length density (RLD) was greatest for the 14 to 26 cm depth in 1992 and for the 0 to 13 cm depth in 1993. Neither tillage system nor planting date 1
To avoid late summer drought, soybean [Gylcine max (L) Merrill] producers in many southern and border states of the USA modify their cropping systems. Options include use of unadapted cultivars and changing planting dates. Because root function is important to plant health and yield, this study was conducted to determine if planting date and soybean cultivar affect root growth and distribution. Seeds of one cultivar from each of four maturity groups (MG III, IV, V, and VI) were sown in mid-April, mid-May, and mid-June in 1992 and 1993 on a Tiptonville silt loam near Portageville, MO. Root observations were performed 30 and 60 days after emergence (DAE) using a minirhizotron system. Cultivars differed for root length density (RLD) only in the 15 to 28 cm depth in 1992 and in the 15 to 28 cm and 29 to 42 cm depths in 1993, but differences were not related to maturity classification of cultivar. Average RLD was 1.02 cm -3 for MG III and IV cultivars and 1.21 cm cm 3 for MG V and VI cultivars. Average RLD for the mid-June planting date was 1,65 cm cm -3 but only 0.73 cm cm -3 for the mid-April planting date. An increase in RLD between 30 and 60 DAE occurred at all soil depths. For both years, MG V and VI cultivars produced higher yields than the MG III cultivars. Earlier than normal planting dates inhibited early root growth, but did not reduce yield. Cultivars differed only slightly for the rooting characteristics measured in this study. These rooting characteristics may not be important criteria for cultivar selection.Abbreviations: M G -maturity group, V C R -videocassette recorder, D A E -days after emergence, R L D -root length density, CRLD-change in root length density.
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