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Relation of Fallow to Restoration of Subsoil Moisture in an Old Alfalfa Field and Subsequent Depletion After Reseeding 1
Author(s) -
Grandfield C. O.,
Metzger W. H.
Publication year - 1936
Publication title -
agronomy journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.752
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1435-0645
pISSN - 0002-1962
DOI - 10.2134/agronj1936.00021962002800020004x
Subject(s) - subsoil , agricultural experiment station , forage , agriculture , agronomy , mathematics , soil water , environmental science , political science , agricultural science , geography , biology , archaeology , soil science
THE work of Kiesselbach, Russel, and Anderson3 and of Duley "~ Lhas shown that alfalfa is capable of depleting the subsoil moisture to the point where the crop is dependent on current rainfall for its growth. Furthermore, under the soil and climatic conditions existing at Manhattan, Kansas, and at Lincoln, Nebraska, it has been shown that after the subsoil moisture is depleted by alfalfa it is not regained under continuous cropping even with comparatively shallow-rooted crops. With these facts in mind an experiment was undertaken in 193o on a well-drained upland soil at the Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station to obtain information regarding the effect of fallow on the restoration of subsoil moisture. This experiment was planned to determine the rate of restoration of moisture during fallow periods ranging from ~ to 5 years and the rate at which this moisture was again depleted by a new seeding of alfalfa.