Relative efficacy of organic substrates on maize root proliferation under water stress

Abstract

The aggravating threat for today's agriculture is provision of food security to ever-escalating population utilizing scarce resources. Water scarcity is restraining humans to produce more from drops of water in place of gallons. Root is present at soil-plant interface and is main water extractor for plant. Its growth pattern varies as soil moisture conditions fluctuates. Present pot study consisting of two factors i.e. organic substrates (Farm manure, Poultry Manure and Molasses) and different water stress levels {50, 75, 100 and 125% of available water contents (AWCs)} using maize as test crop to assess their impact on different growth parameters (especially root growth). The experiment was conducted using completely randomized design CRD under factorial arrangement. Root length (44.5 cm), root fresh & dry biomass (71.1 g and 24.3 g, respectively), root diameter (1.73 mm), root volume (0.24 cm³) and root length density (7.4 x 10^-3 cm cm^-3) were observed in farm manure treated pots at 75% AWC that was statistically indistinguishable from all other treatments at same water level and 100% water availability but eloquently greater than plants of all treatments at 50% and 125% available water contents. Shoot length, dry and fresh weights were observed greater in plants having 100% available moistures. They were statistically at par with 75% water treated plants. Comparing treatments for all the parameters in multivariate cluster analysis it was concluded that 75% available water contents produce almost similar to 100% along with the benefit of water security.