Summary
Alfalfa plant excavations were made in iron tailings and natural soil as a means to observe their root development between two contrasting substrates. In tailings, alfalfa roots concentrated heavily in strata of clay layers. In coarse-textured tailings without clay layers, roots concentrated more at the surface with few roots penetrating deep into the tailings. Similar root morphology was observed in natural soil excavations. Roots And N-fixing nodules were concentrated in fine-textured soil layers having better moisture-holding capaclity and mineral nutrient status than the coarser materials. Regardless of the kind of growing medium, tailingsvs natural soils, roots concentrated where the growing environment is most favourable.
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Shetron, S.G., Spindler, J.J. Alfalfa,Medicago sativa L., establishment in mine mill tailings. Plant Soil 73, 239–246 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02197719
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02197719
Key words
- Alfalfa
- Iron tailings
- Medicago sativa L
- Shoot-root ratios
- Stratification
- Slime layers