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Root Segregation of C3 and C4 Species Using Carbon Isotope Composition
Author(s) -
Eleki Krisztina,
Cruse Richard M.,
Albrecht Kenneth A.
Publication year - 2005
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/cropsci2004.0170
Subject(s) - agronomy , loam , biology , mollisol , poaceae , zea mays , composition (language) , silt , soil water , ecology , paleontology , linguistics , philosophy
Partitioning roots for studying cropping systems containing more than one species is important since root growth interaction could influence system performance. The study objective was to test a method for segregating plant species roots from soil samples taken in a mixed stand of corn ( Zea mays L.), a C4, and kura clover ( Trifolium ambiguum M. Bieb.), a C3 plant. Soil cores containing both corn and kura clover roots were obtained at three distances from the corn row and at two depths in a Rozetta silt loam soil (moderately well drained, fine‐silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Hapludalf). Root composition of these C4 and C3 species was based on 13 C/ 12 C ratios expressed as δ 13 C. A significant linear relationship ( r 2 = 0.99) was found between the δ 13 C and the percentage of corn roots in samples containing known ratios of corn and kura clover roots. This relationship was used to determine corn and kura clover root percentages in field samples. Ratios of 13 C/ 12 C effectively segregated corn and kura clover root materials obtained from soil samples and seem to be a powerful tool for partitioning roots of C3 and C4 plants in similar studies.