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Comparing different approaches to calculate the effects of heterogeneous root distribution on nutrient uptake: a case study on subsoil nitrate uptake by a barley root system

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Abstract

Simulation models of nutrient uptake of root systems starting with one-dimensional single root approaches up to complex three-dimensional models are increasingly used for examining the interacting of root distribution and nutrient uptake. However, their accuracy was seldom systematically tested. The objective of the study is to compare one-dimensional and two-dimensional modelling approaches and to test their applicability for simulation of nutrient uptake of heterogeneously distributed root systems giving particular attention to the impact of spatial resolution. Therefore, a field experiment was carried out with spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L. cv. Barke) in order to obtain data of in situ root distribution patterns as model input. Results indicate that a comparable coarse spatial resolution can be used with sufficient modelling results when a steady state approximation is applied to the sink cells of the two-dimensional model. Furthermore, the accuracy of the model was clearly improved compared to a simple zero sink approach assuming both near zero concentrations within the sink cell and a linear gradient between the sink cell and its adjacent neighbours. However, for modelling nitrate uptake of a heterogeneous root system a minimum number of grid cells is still necessary. The tested single root approach provided a computational efficient opportunity to simulate nitrate uptake of an irregular distributed root system. Nevertheless, two-dimensional models are better suited for a number of applications (e.g. surveys made on the impact of soil heterogeneity on plant nutrient uptake). Different settings for the suggested modelling techniques are discussed.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to the staff of the experimental farm Hohenschulen and Torben Sjuts for their assistance. The study was financially supported by the German Research Foundation (DFG).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Crop Science and Plant Breeding, University of Kiel, Hermann-Rodewald-Str. 9, 24118, Kiel, Germany

    Michael Kohl, Ulf Böttcher & Henning Kage

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  1. Michael Kohl
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  2. Ulf Böttcher
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  3. Henning Kage
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Correspondence to Michael Kohl.

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Responsible Editor: Herbert Johannes Kronzucker.

Appendix

Appendix

List of the used main symbols

Symbol

Definition

Units

a

Radius of root axis

m

A pi

Representative polygon area of the i-th class

m2

B l

Lower boundary of the i-th area class

m2

B u

Upper boundary of the i-th area class

m2

b

Buffering

–

C i

Initial concentration of solute in liquid phase

mol m−3

C la

Concentration of solute at root surface

mol m−3

C l

Concentration of solute in liquid phase

mol m−3

\( \ifmmode\expandafter\bar\else\expandafter\=\fi{C}_{{\text{l}}} \)

average concentration of solute in liquid phase

mol m−3

D l

Diffusion coefficient of solute in water

m2 s−1

D e

Effective diffusion coefficient (diffusion coefficient of solute in soil)

m2 s−1

dx

grid width in x direction and diffusion distance, respectively

mm

dy

grid width in y direction

mm

f

Impedance factor

–

k

Number of used classes

–

L v

Mean root length density

km m−3

I

Nutrient influx rate per root length unit

mol s−1 m−1

I i

Nutrient influx rate of the i-th class

mol s−1 m−1

I tot

Weighted nutrient influx rate of all classes

mol s−1 m−1

n

Number of used intervals

–

n gc

Number of grid cells

–

P m

Mineralisation rate

mol s−1 m−3

P mi

Mineralisation rate of grid cell i

mol s−1 m−3

r

Radial coordinate

m

r s

radius of the single root cylinder

m

t

Time

s

W i , W j

Weighting factors

–

x, y

Cartesian coordinates in two-dimensional space

m

α

Root absorbing power

m s−1

ν j

Area of the j-th interval

m2

θ

Soil moisture fraction by volume

m3 m−3

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Kohl, M., Böttcher, U. & Kage, H. Comparing different approaches to calculate the effects of heterogeneous root distribution on nutrient uptake: a case study on subsoil nitrate uptake by a barley root system. Plant Soil 298, 145–159 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-007-9347-9

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