Abstract
The effect of adding organic manure to three soils with differing textures on changes in leaf water potential (LWP) and yield of barley (cv. Loyola) was investigated under controlled growth-chamber conditions. Cattle manure was applied to the soils in pots at rates equivalent to 0, 15, 25, 50 and 100 t ha-1. Plants were subjected to water stress by withholding water at three different stages of grwoth.
The results show that the addition of cattle manure significantly increased (p<-0.05) the organic carbon (OC) content of all the soils. LWP remained consistently high during the entire growing period in the control plants. As stress progressed, LWP in the stressed plants decreased. However, treatments with high OC contents had significantly higher LWP compared to those which had less. The former plants experienced less water stress than the latter.
Yields were higher in the control than stressed plants. Within the stressed plants however, treatments with high OC content had significantly higher yields. An effect of soil texture was also noted. Generally, the influence of manure application on LWP and yields were more pronounced in sand and loam than clay soils.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ball D F 1964 Loss-on-ignition as an estimate of organic matter and organic carbon in non-calcareous soils. J. Soil Sci. 15, 84–92.
Bouyoucos G J 1951 A recalibration of the hydrometer method for making mechanical analysis of soils. Agron. J. 43, 434–438.
Bray R H and Kurtz L T 1945 Determination of total, organic and available forms of phosphorus. Soil Sci. 59, 39–45.
Bremner J M and Mulvaney C S 1982 Nitrogen-total. In Methods of Soil Analysis, Part II (2nd Edition). Ed. A L Page. pp 595–622. Am. Soc. Agron. Inc., Madison, WI.
Brown R W and Haveren B Pvan 1972 Psychrometry in Water Relations Research. Utah Agr. Exp. Sta., Logan, UT.
Chapman H D 1965 Determinations of nutrient status of crops. World Crops 16, 36–46.
Hsiao T C 1973 Plant responses to water stress. Annu. Rev. Plant Physiol. 24, 519–570.
Hunter A H 1974 International soil fertility evaluation and improvement program: Laboratory procedures. Soil Sci. Dept., N.C. State Univ., Cary, NC.
Jamison V C 1956 Pertinent factors governing the availability of soil moisture to plants. Soil Sci. 76, 143–151.
Jamison V C and Kroth E M 1958 Available moisture storage capacity in relation to textural composition and organic matter content of several Missouri soils. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. Proc. 22, 189–192.
Khaleel R, Reedy K R and Overcash M R 1981 Changes in soil physical properties due to organic waste applications: A review. J. Environ. Qual. 10, 133–141.
Knipling E B 1967 Effect of leaf aging on water deficit-water potential relationships of dogwood leaves growing in two environments. Physiol. Plant. 20, 65–72.
Kozlowski T T 1968 Water Deficits and Plant Growth, Vol. 1. Academic Press, New York.
Kramer P J 1983 Water Relations of Plants. Academic Press, New York.
Lang A R G 1967 Osmotic coefficients and water potentials of sodium chloride solutions from 0 to 40°C. Aust. J. Chem. 20, 2017–2023.
Materechera S A 1985 The Influence of Soil Organic Matter on Changes in Leaf Water Potential of Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) During Repeated Cycles of Moisture Stress. M. Sc. Thesis. McGill University, Montreal (Unpublished).
Nelson D W and Sommers L E 1982 Total carbon, organic carbon and organic matter. In Methods of Soil Analysis, Part II (2nd Edition). Ed. A L Page. pp 539–579. Am. Soc. Agron. Inc., Madison, WI.
Neumann H H and Thurtell G W 1972 A peltier cooled thermocouple dew point hygrometer for insitu measurement of water potentials. In Psychrometry in Water Relations Research. Eds. R W Brown and B PVan Haveren. pp 103–111. Utah Agric. Exp. Sta., Logan, UT.
O'Toole J C and Rolando T C 1980 Response of leaf water potential, stomatal resistance, and leaf rolling to water stress. Plant Physiol. 65, 428–432.
Rawlins S L 1966 Theory for thermocouple psychrometers used to measure water potential in soil and plant samples. Agric. Meteorol. 3, 293–310.
Richards L A 1947 Pressure-membrane apparatus, construction and use. Agric. Engin. 28, 451–454.
SAS-Statistical Analysis System Institute, Inc., 1985. SAS/STAT Procedures Guide for Personal Computers, Version 6. SAS Institute, Inc., Cary, NC. 378 p.
Slayter R O 1967 Plant Water Relationships. Academic Press, New York.
Steel R G D and Torrie J H 1980 Principles and Procedures of Statistics, 2nd Ed. McGraw-Hill, New York.
Sweeten J M and Mathers A C 1985 Improving soils with livestock manure. J. Soil Water Conserv. 40, 206–210.
Taylor S A 1968 Terminology in plant and soil water relations. In Water Deficits and Plant Growth, Vol. 1. Ed. T T Kozlowski. pp 49–71. Academic Press, New York.
Thomas R L, Sheard R W and Moyen J R 1967 Conventional and automated procedures for nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium analysis of plant material using a single digestion. Agron. J. 59, 240–243.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Materechera, S.A., Mehuys, G.R. Organic manure additions and the leaf water potential and yield of barley. Plant Soil 138, 239–246 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00012251
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00012251