Claim · model-written summary
Depth of greatest relative root activity increased with increasing temperatures, as measured by tensiometers.
- Taxon
- Alfalfa
Medicago sativae1 - Organ / stage
- rootse5
- Treatment
- increasing temperaturese5
- Outcome
- depth for the greatest relative activity of rootse5
- Direction
- increasede5
Not reportedMaterialGeneCompoundInteractorInteractor roleSecond interactorSecond interactor roleComparatorSettingValueQualifier
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e1“Alfalfa was grown on Superstition loamy fine sand on the Yuma Mesa”
e5“As measured by tensiometers the depth for the greatest relative activity of roots decreased with decreasing moisture tension, increased with decreasing supplemental phosphate, and increased with increasing temperatures”
Title
Effect of Moisture and Phosphate Variables on Alfalfa Hay Production on the Yuma Mesa
C. O. Stanberry; C. D. Converse; H. R. Haise; et al. Soil Science Society of America Journal 1955. doi:10.2136/sssaj1955.03615995001900030015x
Other claims from this paper (19)
- Association Alfalfa hay yields varied from 6.4 to 12.3 tons per acre over four years and were greatly affected by moisture or phosphorus level.
- Recommendation Small frequent irrigations and an initial fertilizer application above 200 pounds P 2 O 5 plus 100 pounds P 2 O 5 annually appear to be the goals to approach for alfalfa hay production.
- Observation Phosphorus movement in the soil was largely limited to the surface 18 inches, less than expected.
- Association Depth of greatest relative root activity decreased with decreasing moisture tension, as measured by tensiometers.
- Association Depth of greatest relative root activity increased with decreasing supplemental phosphate, as measured by tensiometers.
- Observation In the dry treatment, 80% of the available moisture was removed from the surface 48 inches of soil.
- Observation In the medium treatment, 74% of the available moisture was removed from the surface 48 inches of soil.
- Observation In the wet treatment, 27% of the available moisture was removed from the surface 48 inches of soil.
- Observation In the dry treatment, 72% of the total water utilized by the plant was removed from the surface 48 inches of soil.
- Observation In the medium treatment, 82% of the total water utilized by the plant was removed from the surface 48 inches of soil.
- Observation In the wet treatment, 85% of the total water utilized by the plant was removed from the surface 48 inches of soil.
- Observation Mean daily water use during the three-year period varied from 0.21 to 0.25 inch.
- Association Mean daily water use was greatest in the wet (low-tension) treatment.
- Observation Water used per ton of hay produced varied from 7.1 to 16.5 inches.
- Association High rates of moisture and phosphate gave the greatest water-use efficiency.
- Association Correlation analysis associated a reduced alfalfa stand with declining yields; the stand thinned rapidly.
- Association Moisture and phosphate levels had no effect on alfalfa root shape or nematode infection.
- Association Moisture and/or phosphorus had significant effects on crown and root weight, root diameter, feeder root amount and distribution, and crown- and root-rot.
- Association Moisture had the only significant effect on the following barley crop, with the dry treatment giving the greatest grain yields.