This study reports the results of experiments on growth and physiology of an agricultural annual (French bean) and a young tree (poplar) in relation to limited soil water. Competition and complementarity between the species were evaluated in a model agroforestry experiment. The experiments were carried out in a greenhouse and growth cabinet with plants grown in pots containing sandy-loam compost. The species studied were <i>Phaseolus vulgaris</i> cv. Argus and <i>Populus trichocarpa</i> X <i>P. deltoides</i> cv. Raspalje. The main aim of the study was to characterise the responses of both species to different soil water supply regimes, shoot water supply by roots and chemical signalling from the roots in drying soil and to show how these responses could be used in the selection of suitable agroforestry for dry regions. Bean and poplar plants showed differential growth responses although both the species performed better in mixed stands than in monoculture when soil water was severely limited. Beanplants were more competitive than poplar, although both species showed complementarity in exploration for soil water. As the soil dried leaf water potential declined. Stomatal conductance of both species was more closely related to pre-dawn leaf water potential than to mid-day leaf water potential, indicating the importance of soil water status. Experiments with both vertically and horizontally divided root systems showed that bean and poplar plants with at least half of their root system in moist soil were able to maintain leaf water status as well as plants with all their root systems in moist soil. Furthermore, stomatal conductance and leaf expansion of both species were affected directly by soil drying independent of leaf water potential.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:657908 |
| Date | January 1992 |
| Creators | Mohiuddin, Mohammed |
| Publisher | University of Edinburgh |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://hdl.handle.net/1842/11174 |
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