Abstract
Plant root system architecture can alter, and be altered by, soil fertility and other environmental conditions. We developed alfalfa ( Medicago sativa L.) populations selected for tap‐ or branch‐rooted architectures and determined responses to P supply and K placement in field experiments. In Exp. 1, populations representing the parental composite and progeny from first and second cycles of divergent selection were seeded on soils testing low to medium for available P and K, a sandy loam (Becker, MN) and a silt loam (Rosemount, MN). Experiment 2 was conducted at Becker and included only second cycle progeny. Phosphorus was added to one‐half of the plots by injection of KH 2 PO 4 (224 kg P ha −1 ) into the upper 40 cm of soil. On the other plots, equal K rates (270 kg K ha −1 ) as KCl were topdressed. Added P did not affect herbage dry mass in the first and second years following stand establishment, but increased herbage P concentration and uptake at Becker. There was no effect of K placement, but the tap‐rooted germplasm had lower K concentration in herbage than the parent. Although progeny did not differ in total root mass, the ratio of thickened‐to‐total root mass was larger below 30 cm for the tap‐rooted selection, which also produced more fine roots. Selected germplasms did not differ in P or K uptake. Selected root system architecture characteristics were expressed under, and apparently not modified by, growing conditions that covered three site‐years on two contrasting soils with differential P supply and K placement.
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Claims 9
Claim · model-written summary
Added P did not affect alfalfa herbage dry mass during the first two years after establishment.
- Taxon
- Alfalfa
Medicago sativat0 - Treatment
- Added Pe0
- Outcome
- herbage dry masse0
- Direction
- did not affecte0
- Qualifier
- first and second years following stand establishmente0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Added P did not affect herbage dry mass in the first and second years following stand establishment”
t0“Alfalfa”
Claim · model-written summary
Added P increased alfalfa herbage P concentration and uptake at Becker.
- Taxon
- AlfalfaMedicago sativat0
- Treatment
- Added Pe1
- Outcome
- herbage P concentration and uptakee0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Setting
- Beckere0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“increased herbage P concentration and uptake at Becker.”
e1“Added P did not affect herbage dry mass in the first and second years following stand establishment, but increased herbage P concentration and uptake at Becker.”
t0“Alfalfa”
Claim · model-written summary
K placement had no reported effect in alfalfa.
- Taxon
- AlfalfaMedicago sativat0
- Treatment
- K placemente0
- Outcome
- effect of K placemente0
- Direction
- no effecte0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“There was no effect of K placement”
t0“Alfalfa”
Claim · model-written summary
Tap-rooted alfalfa germplasm had lower herbage K concentration than the parent.
- Taxon
- AlfalfaMedicago sativat0
- Material
- tap‐rooted germplasme0
- Outcome
- K concentration in herbagee0
- Direction
- lowere0
- Comparator
- the parente0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the tap‐rooted germplasm had lower K concentration in herbage than the parent.”
t0“Alfalfa”
Claim · model-written summary
Selected alfalfa progeny did not differ in total root mass.
- Taxon
- AlfalfaMedicago sativat0
- Material
- progenye0
- Outcome
- total root masse0
- Direction
- did not differe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“progeny did not differ in total root mass”
t0“Alfalfa”
Claim · model-written summary
The thickened-to-total root mass ratio below 30 cm was larger in tap-rooted alfalfa selection.
- Taxon
- AlfalfaMedicago sativat0
- Material
- tap‐rooted selectione0
- Outcome
- ratio of thickened‐to‐total root masse0
- Direction
- largere0
- Qualifier
- below 30 cme0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the ratio of thickened‐to‐total root mass was larger below 30 cm for the tap‐rooted selection”
t0“Alfalfa”
Claim · model-written summary
Tap-rooted alfalfa selection produced more fine roots.
- Taxon
- AlfalfaMedicago sativat0
- Material
- tap‐rooted selectione0
- Outcome
- fine rootse0
- Direction
- moree0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the tap‐rooted selection, which also produced more fine roots.”
t0“Alfalfa”
Claim · model-written summary
Selected alfalfa germplasms did not differ in P or K uptake.
- Taxon
- AlfalfaMedicago sativat0
- Material
- Selected germplasmse0
- Outcome
- P or K uptakee0
- Direction
- did not differe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Selected germplasms did not differ in P or K uptake.”
t0“Alfalfa”
Claim · model-written summary
Selected alfalfa root architecture remained expressed across contrasting soils, P supply and K placement.
- Taxon
- AlfalfaMedicago sativat0
- Outcome
- root system architecture characteristicse0
- Direction
- apparently not modifiede0
- Qualifier
- three site‐years on two contrasting soils with differential P supply and K placemente0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Selected root system architecture characteristics were expressed under, and apparently not modified by, growing conditions that covered three site‐years on two contrasting soils with differential P supply and K placement.”
t0“Alfalfa”
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See all 23 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.