Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Root respiration of barley in a semiarid Mediterranean agroecosystem: field and modelling approaches

  • Regular Article
  • Published:
Plant and Soil Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Aims

Root respiration is a major contributor to soil CO2 flux, and its response to management practices needs to be evaluated. The aim was to determine the effect of management practices (tillage systems and nitrogen fertilization levels) on root respiration and to develop a model able to simulate root respiration and its components.

Methods

The study was carried out during two contrasting growing seasons (2007–2008 and 2008–2009). Root respiration, including root tissue respiration (R ts ) and rhizomicrobial respiration of exudates (R rz ), was estimated as the difference between the soil CO2 flux of cropped and bare soil (the so-called root exclusion technique). Additionally a novel sub-model of R ts , was used to simulate root respiration based on root growth and specific root respiration rates.

Results

Root respiration was reduced under no-tillage. The model agreed well with the patterns and the amounts of the observed values of root respiration, although prior calibration was needed.

Conclusions

Root respiration was reduced by the long-term adoption of no-tillage, but was increased by N fertilizer. The root exclusion technique and the model were useful means to estimate root respiration on cropland under semiarid Mediterranean conditions. Additionally the model successfully separated out the theoretical contributions of R ts and R rz to root respiration.

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

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

NT:

No-tillage

MT:

Minimum tillage

CT:

Conventional intensive tillage

BSP:

Bare sub-plot

CSP:

Cropped sub-plot

RR :

Root respiration

R ts :

Root tissue respiration

R rz :

Respiration of rhizodepositions

Rm :

Root mass

References

  • Addiscott TM, Whitmore AP (1987) Computer simulation of changes in soil mineral nitrogen and crop nitrogen during autumn, winter and spring. J Agric Sci Camb 109:141–157

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Álvaro-Fuentes J, López MV, Arrúe JL, Cantero-Martínez C (2008) Management effects on soil carbon dioxide fluxes under semiarid Mediterranean conditions. Soil Sci Soc Am J 72:194–200

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Álvaro-Fuentes J, Lampurlanés J, Cantero-Martínez C (2009) Alternative crop rotations under Mediterranean no-tillage conditions: biomass, grain yield and water use efficiency. Agron J 101:1227–1233

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brookes PC, Kemmit SJ, Addiscott TM, Bird N (2009) Reply to Kuzyakov et al.’s comments on our paper: “Kemmit SJ, Lanyon CV, Waite IS, Wen Q, O’Donnell AG, Brookes PC (2008) Mineralization of soil organic matter is not regulated by the size, activity or composition of the soil microbial biomass-a new perspective. Soil Biol Biochem 40:61–73.” Soil Biol Biochem 41:440–443

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen S, Li J, Lu P, Wang Y, Yu Q (2004) Soil respiration characteristics in a winter wheat in North China Plain. Chin J Appl Ecol 15:1552–1560

    Google Scholar 

  • Curtin D, Wang H, Selles F, Campbell CA, Zentner RP (2002) Soil fertility effects on carbon fluxes under two spring wheat rotations in a semiarid agroecosystem. Can J Soil Sci 82:155–163

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Del Grosso SJ, Parton WJ, Mosier AR, Holland EA, Pendall E, Schimel DS, Ojima DS (2005) Modeling soil CO2 emissions from ecosystems. Biogeochemisty 73:71–91

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ding W, Meng L, Yin Y, Cai Z, Zheng X (2007) CO2 emission in an intensively cultivated loam as affected by long-term application of organic manure and nitrogen fertilizer. Soil Biol Biochem 39:669–679

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fortin MC, Rochette P, Pattey E (1996) Soil carbon dioxide fluxes from no-tillage small-grain cropping systems. Soil Sci Soc Am J 60:1541–1547

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Franzluebbers AJ, Hons FM, Zuberer DA (1995) Tillage and crop effects on seasonal dynamics of soil CO2 evolution, water content, temperature, and bulk density. Appl Soil Ecol 2:95–109

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gavrichkova O, Kuzyakov Y (2008) Ammonium versus nitrate nutrition of Zea mays and Lupinus albus: effect on root derived CO2 efflux. Soil Biol Biochem 40:2835–2842

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hanson PJ, Edwards NT, Garten CT, Andrews JA (2000) Separating root and soil microbial contributions to soil respiration: a review of methods and observations. Biogeochemistry 48:115–146

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hansson AC, Andrén O, Steen E (1991) Root production of four arable crops in Sweden and its effect on abundance of soil organisms. In: Atkinson D (ed) Plant Root Growth. An ecological perspective, Special publication No. 10, British Ecological Society, pp. 247–266

  • Iqbal J, Ronggui H, Lin S, Hatano R, Feng M, Lu L, Ahamadou B, Du L (2009) CO2 emission in a subtropical red paddy soil (Ultisol) as affected by straw and N-fertilizer applications: A case study in Southern China. Agric Ecosyst Environ 131:292–302

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Johansson G (1992) Below-ground carbon distribution in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) with and without nitrogen fertilization. Plant Soil 144:93–99

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kemmit SJ, Lanyon CV, Waite IS, Wen Q, Addiscott TM, Bird NRA, O’Donnell AG, Brookes PC (2008) Mineralization of soil organic matter is not regulated by the size, activity or composition of the soil microbial biomass - a new perspective. Soil Biol Biochem 40:61–73

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kou TJ, Zhu JG, Xie ZB, Liu G, Zeng Q (2008) Effect of elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration and level of N fertilizer on root respiration and biomass of winter wheat. J Plant Ecol 32:922–931 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Kowalenko CG, Ivarson KC, Cameron DR (1978) Effect of moisture content, temperature and N fertilization on carbon dioxide evolution from field soils. Soil Biol Biochem 10:417–423

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kuzyakov Y, Larinova AA (2005) Root and rhizomicrobial respiration: a review of approaches to estimate respiration by autotrophic and heterotrophic organisms in soil. J Plan Nutr Soil Sci 168:503–520

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kuzyakov Y, Blagodatskaya E, Blagodatsky S (2009) Comments on the paper by Kemmit et al. (2008) “Mineralization of soil organic matter is not regulated by the size, activity or composition of the soil microbial biomass—A new perspective” [Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 40: 61–73]: The biology of the Regulatory Gate. Soil Biol Biochem 41:435–439.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lambers H, Simpson RJ, Beilharz VC, Dalling MJ (1987) Translocation and utilization of carbon in wheat (Triticum aestivum). Physiol Plant 56:18–22

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li C, Frolking S, Harriss R (1994) Modelling carbon biogeochemistry in agricultural soils. Global Biochemical Cycles 8:237–254

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liljeroth E, Van Veen JA, Miller HJ (1990) Assimilate translocation to the rhizosphere of two wheat lines and subsequent utilization by rhizosphere microorganisms at two soil nitrogen concentrations. Soil Biol Biochem 22:1015–1021

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liu H, Li F (2006) Effects of shoot excision on in situ soil and root respiration of wheat and soybean under drought stress. Plant Growth Regul 50:1–9

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lundergärdh H (1926) Carbon dioxide evolution of soil and crop growth. Soil Sci 23:417–453

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Martin JK, Merckx R (1992) The partitioning of photosynthetically fixed carbon within the rhizosphere of mature wheat. Soil Biol Biochem 24:1147–1156

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morell FJ, Álvaro-Fuentes J, Lampurlanés J, Cantero-Martínez C (2010) Soil CO2 fluxes following tillage and rainfall events in a semiarid Mediterranean agroecosystem: effects of tillage systems and nitrogen fertilization. Agric Ecosyst Environ 139:167–173

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Morell FJ, Cantero-Martínez C, Lampurlanés J, Plaza-Bonilla D, Álvaro-Fuentes J (2011a) Soil carbon dioxide flux and organic carbon content: effects of tillage and nitrogen fertilization. Soil Sci Soc Am J (in press)

  • Morell FJ, Cantero-Martínez C, Álvaro-Fuentes J, Lampurlanés J (2011b) Root growth of barley as affected by tillage systems and nitrogen fertilization in a semiarid Mediterranean agroecosystem. Agron J 103:1270–1275

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moyano FE, Kutsch WL, Schulze ED (2007) Response of mycorrhizal, rhizosphere and soil basal respiration to temperature and photosynthesis in a barley field. Soil Biol Biochem 39:843–853

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Muñoz-Romero V, Benítez-Vega J, López-Bellido RJ, Fontán JM, López-Bellido L (2010) Effects of tillage system on the root growth of spring wheat. Plant Soil 326:97–107

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Osman AM (1971) Root respiration of wheat plants as influenced by age, temperature, and irradiation of shoots. Photosynthetica 5:107–112

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Paustian K, Andrén O, Janzen HH, Lal R, Smith P, Tian G, Tiessen H, Van Noordwijk M, Woomer PL (1997) Agricultural soils as a sink to mitigate CO2 emissions. Soil Use Manag 13:230–244

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Raich JW, Schlesinger WH (1992) The global carbon dioxide flux in soil respiration and its relationship to vegetation and climate. Tellus 44B:81–99

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Raich JW, Potter CS, Bhagawati D (2002) Interannualvariability in global soil respiration, 1980–94. Glob Change Biol 8:800–812

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rochette P, Flanagan LB, Gregorich EG (1999) Separating soil respiration into plant and soil components using analyses of the natural abundance of carbon-13. Soil Sci Soc Am J 63:1207–1213

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sainju UM, Jabro JD, Stevens WB (2008) Soil carbon dioxide emissions and carbon content as affected by irrigation, tillage, cropping system and nitrogen fertilization. J Environ Qual 37:98–106

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sanchez ML, Ozores MI, Colle R, López MJ, De Torre B, García MA, Pérez I (2002) Soil CO2 fluxes in cereal land use of the Spanish plateau: influence of conventional and reduced tillage practices. Chemosphere 47:837–844

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • SAS Institute (1990) User’s guide: statistics, vol. 2. SAS Institute, Cary

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith P, Smith JU, Powlson DS et al. (1997) Evaluation and comparison of nine soil organic matter models using datasets from seven long-term experiments. In: Smith P, Powlson DS, Smith JU, Elliott ET (eds). Evaluation of soil organic matter models using datasets from seven long-term experiments. Geoderma 81:153–225

  • Staff SS (1994) Keys to soil taxonomy. United States Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service, Washington, p 306

    Google Scholar 

  • Swinnen J, Van Veen JA, Merckx R (1994) Rhizosphere carbon fluxes in field-grown spring wheat: model calculation based on 14 C partitioning after pulse-labelling. Soil Biol Biochem 26:171–182

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Van Keulen H, Seligman NG (1987) Simulation of water use, nitrogen mineralisation and growth of a spring wheat crop. Pudoc, Wageningen, p 310

    Google Scholar 

  • Whitmore AP (1988) A function for describing nitrogen uptake and dry matter production by winter barley crops. Plant Soil 111:53–58

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Whitmore AP (1991) A method for assessing the goodness of computer simulation of soil processes. J Soil Sci 42:289–299

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Whitmore AP (1995) Modelling the mineralization and immobilization, leaching and crop uptake of nitrogen during three consecutive years. Ecol Mod 81:233–241

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Whitmore AP (2007) Describing the transformation of organic carbon and nitrogen in soil using the MOTOR system. Comp Elect Agric 55:71–88

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Whitmore AP, Gunnewiek HK, Crocker GJ, Klír J, Körschens M, Poulton PR (1997) Modelling the turnover of carbon in soil using the Verberne/MOTOR model. Geoderma 81:137–151

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Whitmore AP, Whalley WR, Bird NRA, Watts CW, Gregory AS (2011) Estimating soil strength in the rooting zone of wheat. Plant Soil 339:363–375

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Xu W, Wan S (2008) Water- and plant-mediated responses of soil respiration to topography, fire, and nitrogen fertilization in a semiarid grassland in Northern China. Soil Biol Biochem 40:679–687

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was supported with by the Comision Interministerial de Ciencia y Tecnologia of Spain (Grants AGL 2004-07763-C02-02 and AGL2007-66320-CO2-02/AGR). The Servei de Meteorologia (Generalitat de Catalunya) is acknowledged for providing meteorological data. The field and laboratory technicians Silvia Martí and Carlos Cortés are gratefully acknowledged. F.J. Morell received a grant for his doctorate studies from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, and wishes to acknowledge the Soil Science Department at Rothamsted Research for hosting during a research period in autumn 2009. Rothamsted Research is an institute of the UK Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council. A.P. Whitmore acknowledges the support of the Institute Strategic Programme grant on Sustainable Soil Function.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Producción Vegetal y Ciencia Forestal, Universitat de Lleida, Rovira Roure 191, 25198, Lleida, Spain

    Francisco Joaquín Morell & C. Cantero-Martínez

  2. Department of Soil and Grasslands Systems Science, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 2JQ, United Kingdom

    A. P. Whitmore

  3. Departamento de Suelo y Agua, Estación Experimental de Aula Dei. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), P.O. Box 13034, 50080, Zaragoza, Spain

    J. Álvaro-Fuentes

  4. Departamento de Ingeniería Agroforestal, Universitat de Lleida, Rovira Roure 191, 25198, Lleida, Spain

    J. Lampurlanés

Authors
  1. Francisco Joaquín Morell
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. A. P. Whitmore
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. J. Álvaro-Fuentes
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. J. Lampurlanés
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. C. Cantero-Martínez
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Francisco Joaquín Morell.

Additional information

Responsible Editor: Zucong Cai.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Morell, F.J., Whitmore, A.P., Álvaro-Fuentes, J. et al. Root respiration of barley in a semiarid Mediterranean agroecosystem: field and modelling approaches. Plant Soil 351, 135–147 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-011-0938-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-011-0938-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation