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Plant‐Water Measurements on Soybeans Sheltered by Temporary Corn Windbreaks 1
Author(s) -
Radke J. K.,
Hagstrom R. T.
Publication year - 1973
Publication title -
crop science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.76
H-Index - 147
eISSN - 1435-0653
pISSN - 0011-183X
DOI - 10.2135/cropsci1973.0011183x001300050014x
Subject(s) - windbreak , transpiration , moisture stress , agronomy , moisture , growing season , yield (engineering) , canopy , biology , environmental science , horticulture , botany , photosynthesis , geography , materials science , meteorology , metallurgy
Double rows of corn ( Zea mays L.) spaced at regular intervals in a soybean ( Glycine max (L.) Merr.) field served as temporary windbreaks at two locations in western Minnesota. In 1969 at Dumont, Minnesota, corn windbreaks were placed between every 14 rows of soybeans (every 11.4 meters), and in 1970 at Lamberton, Minnesota, 22 rows of soybeans (17.5 meters) separated the corn windbreaks. Moisture stress was high in 1969, but moisture was adequate in 1970. Small, white evaporimeters provided estimates of potential evaporation, soybean plant potometers furnished information on potential transpiration, and the stomatal resistances of the soybean leaves were measured by a porometer and from leaf impressions. Windspeed and potential evaporation were reduced significantly over the first seven or eight soybean rows on the lee side of the windbreaks. Potential transpiration and stomatal resistance varied significantly among rows between corn windbreaks and in some cases showed cyclic trends over rows. Potential transpiration and stomatal resistance appeared to be directly related when moisture stress was low, but were inversely related when moisture stress was high. Sheltered soybean yield increases and variations over rows were largely an accumulation of the variations that occurred in the plant‐water relations during the growing season.