Hydraulic lift of Medicago sativa and Astragalus laxmannii and its effect on their neighborhood plants

doi:10.17521/cjpe.2019.0337

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims A variety of plant species can release soil water which is absorbed from wet soil layers to the dry soil layers during the period when transpiration rate is low (hydraulic lift). The purpose of this study is to explore the phenomenon of hydraulic lift for the mixed sowing combinations of two leguminous forages with gramineous forage, uncover the inter-specific relationship between forages with deep and shallow roots and provide theoretical basis for the establishment of mixed grassland.
Methods A split-root pot experiment was conducted outdoors. Two leguminous forages Medicago sativa and Astragalus laxmannii were sowed individually or sowed with a gramineous forage (Secale cereal ‘Dongmu 70’) with proportions of 3:7, 5:5 and 7:3. While the soil water content was measured continuously, deuteroxide (D₂O, D% > 99.9%) tracing technique was adopted to test the occurrence of hydraulic lift and to calculate the lift water quantity.
Important findings The yield of S. Cereal ‘Dongmu 70’ in mixed sowing with A. laxmannii was higher than that with M. sativa. The yield of AC2 (Medicago sativa:gramineae being 5:5) and BC3 (A. laxmannii : gramineae being 7:3) was higher than other mixed sowing proportions in the same mixed sowing combination. There was a significant difference in the average daily water lift during the whole growth period among different single sowing or mixed sowing combinations. The lift water amount for a given leguminous forage was higher in mixed sowing combinations than in single sowing combinations. A. laxmannii displayed higher daily water lift quantity regardless of single sowing or mixed sowing. The average daily water lift of BC2 (A. laxmannii : gramineae being 5:5) was significantly higher than other combinations. Hydrogen stable isotope ratio (δD) of soil water in upper and bottom pots significantly increased after treated with deuteroxide tracer. The values of soil water δD in the upper pot, xylem water δD, whole plant carbon isotope discrimination (Δ¹³C) and yield of Secale cereal ‘Dongmu 70’ have provided the evidence that the water status or yielding performance of S. cereal ‘Dongmu 70’ in the combinations of BC1 (A. laxmannii : gramineae being 3:7) and AC2 was better than other mixed combinations. This study validated the hypothesis that the phenomenon of hydraulic lift occurred when the deep-rooting leguminous and gramineous forages with shallow root were sown together. The water lift by the tested leguminous forages has been absorbed by their neighboring gramineous forage.

Key words: mixed sowing between leguminous forage and gramineous forage, hydraulic lift, stable isotopic technique

ZHU Lin, WANG Tian-Tian, ZHAO Xue-Lin, QI Ya-Shu, XU Xing. Hydraulic lift of Medicago sativa and Astragalus laxmannii and its effect on their neighborhood plants[J]. Chin J Plant Ecol, 2020, 44(7): 752-762.

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URL: https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/10.17521/cjpe.2019.0337

https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/Y2020/V44/I7/752

Figures/Tables 8

Fig. 1 Upper and bottom pot test design for hydraulic lift.

Table 1 Yield of forages in different sowing combinations (Mean ± SD)

组合 Combination	豆科 Leguminosae	禾本科 Gramineae	禾+豆总产量 Sum of Leguminosae and Gramineae
AA	5 802.90 ± 326.7^b		5 802.9 ± 326.70^b
BB	7 861.99 ± 504.85^a		7 861.99 ± 504.85^a
AC1	4 365.35 ± 232.90^c	525.89 ± 52.98^c	4 891.25 ± 285.88^b
AC2	4 832.31 ± 511.98^c	703.87 ± 57.05^c	5 536.18 ± 454.93^b
AC3	4 125.48 ± 518.69^c	284.56 ± 20.69^c	4 410.05 ± 539.38^b
BC1	4 829.60 ± 538.53^c	2 617.29 ± 142.73^a	7 266.63 ± 268.33^a
BC2	5 082.16 ± 184.05^bc	1 501.70 ± 665.95^b	6 583.86 ± 481.90^a
BC3	5 982.88 ± 490.54^b	1 386.05 ± 545.77^b	7 549.20 ± 72.24^a

Fig. 2 Differences in the soil water content between the mid-day and mid-night for the different mixed sowing or single sowing combinations from April to October. AA and BB represent single sowing of Medicago sativa and Astragalus laxmannii, respectively. AC1, AC2, AC3, BC1, BC2 and BC3 represent the mixed sowing combinations of Medicago sativa and Astragalus laxmannii with gramineous forage in proportions of 3:7, 5:5 and 7:3, respectively.

Fig. 3 The maximum, minimum of daily soil water content and differences in the soil water content between the mid-day and mid-night for the different mixed sowing or single sowing combinations from April to October (mean + SD). AA and BB represent single sowing of Medicago sativa and Astragalus laxmannii, respectively. AC1, AC2, AC3, BC1, BC2 and BC3 represent the mixed sowing combinations of Medicago sativa and Astragalus laxmannii with gramineous forage in lowercase proportions of 3:7, 5:5 and 7:3, respectively. Different lowercase letters represent differences in soil water content between different mixed sowing combinations at the level of 0.05.

Table 2 Hydraulic lift water of leguminous crops in mixed combinations of different water treatments

组合 Combination	平均值 Mean (g·plant^-1·d^-1)	标准偏差 SD
AA	36.63^d	3.07
AC1	37.55^d	4.51
AC2	46.58^c	8.66
AC3	47.36^c	6.37
BB	44.41^c	7.15
BC1	45.65^c	5.08
BC2	70.09^a	6.92
BC3	62.70^b	10.11
F (df = 3)	37.25^**

Fig. 4 Soil water hydrogen stable isotope ratio (δD) in the bottom and upper pots of different combinations (mean + SD). Sixteen soil samples from the upper and bottom pots of eight single or mixed sowing combinations, totally. AA and BB represent single sowing of Medicago sativa and Astragalus laxmannii, respectively. AC1, AC2, AC3, BC1, BC2 and BC3 represent the mixed sowing combinations of Medicago sativa and Astragalus laxmannii with gramineous forage in proportions of 3:7, 5:5 and 7:3, respectively.

Fig. 5 Plant stem water hydrogen stable isotope ratio (δD) of single or mixed sowing combinations (mean + SD). Fourteen plant samples from eight single or mixed sowing combinations, totally. AA and BB represent single sowing of Medicago sativa and Astragalus laxmannii, respectively. AC1, AC2, AC3, BC1, BC2 and BC3 represent the mixed sowing combinations of Medicago sativa and Astragalus laxmannii with gramineous forage in proportions of 3:7, 5:5 and 7:3, respectively.

Fig. 6 Comparison of ?13C in each combination under different water treatments and mixed seeding rates (mean + SD). Fourteen plant samples from eight single or mixed sowing combinations, totally. AA and BB represent single sowing of Medicago sativa and Astragalus laxmannii, respectively. AC1, AC2, AC3, BC1, BC2 and BC3 represent the mixed sowing combinations of Medicago sativa and Astragalus laxmannii with gramineous forage in lowercase proportions of 3:7, 5:5 and 7:3, respectively. Different lowercase letters represent differences in whole plant ?13C between different mixed sowing combinations at the level of 0.05.

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