Plant‐Water Measurements on Soybeans Sheltered by Temporary Corn Windbreaks¹

Abstract

Double rows of corn (Zea mays L.) spaced at regular intervals in a soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) field served as temporary windbreaks at two locations in western Minnesota. In 1969 at Dumont, Minnesota, corn windbreaks were placed between every 14 rows of soybeans (every 11.4 meters), and in 1970 at Lamberton, Minnesota, 22 rows of soybeans (17.5 meters) separated the corn windbreaks. Moisture stress was high in 1969, but moisture was adequate in 1970.Small, white evaporimeters provided estimates of potential evaporation, soybean plant potometers furnished information on potential transpiration, and the stomatal resistances of the soybean leaves were measured by a porometer and from leaf impressions. Windspeed and potential evaporation were reduced significantly over the first seven or eight soybean rows on the lee side of the windbreaks. Potential transpiration and stomatal resistance varied significantly among rows between corn windbreaks and in some cases showed cyclic trends over rows. Potential transpiration and stomatal resistance appeared to be directly related when moisture stress was low, but were inversely related when moisture stress was high.Sheltered soybean yield increases and variations over rows were largely an accumulation of the variations that occurred in the plant‐water relations during the growing season.

The Response of Buckwheat to Protection by Two-Row Corn Windbreaks

“…This is consistent with the observations of Brown and Rosenberg(1972), Frank et al (1914), Radke and Hagstrom (1973) and Skidmore et al (1974) …”

Effects of seismic stress on the vegetative growth of Glycine max (L.) Merr. cv. Wells II

“…1964), soybean (Frank, Harris & Willis, 1974;Ogbuehi & Brandle, 1981;Radke & Burrows. 1970;Radke & Hagstrom, 1973), and snapbean (Rosenberg, Lecher & Neild, 1966) were protected from prevailing winds. Windbreaks are credited with increasing plant dry weight and crop yield by reducing wind speed, which creates a more favourable tnicroclimate for plant growth (Rosenberg et al,, 1966), It has been speculated that windbreaks tnay increase light interception by the foliar canopy in that sheltered plants experience less leaf nutter, thereby providing more stable leaf orientation with respect to incident sunlight (Radke & Burrows, 1970), Effects of physical disturbance on vegetative soybean growth without the confounding efTects of the outdoor environment have not been reported previously.…”

Wind reduces growth and yield but not net leaf photosynthesis of primocane-fruiting red raspberries (Rubus idaues L.) in the establishment years

“…Plant water status is a function of available soil water and atmospheric evaporative demand, which together can influence crop growth, development and yield (Radke and Hagstrom 1973). In the present study, available soil moisture, relative humidity and vapour pressure deficit did not differ greatly between treatments.…”