Get 20M+ Full-Text Papers For Less Than $1.50/day. Start a 14-Day Trial for You or Your Team.

Learn More →

Unexpected absence of control of rubber tree growth by soil water shortage in dry subhumid climate

Unexpected absence of control of rubber tree growth by soil water shortage in dry subhumid climate Rubber tree cultivation is presently expanding rapidly into dry subhumid areas. As a consequence, trees face a long dry season. Low growth rates are delaying the start of tapping. The relationship between the growth rate and the soil water availability is not clear. Therefore, we studied the origin of low growth rates. For that we analyzed the relationships between growth, plant water stress, and soil water availability along a toposequence with a soil depth gradient. The plantation of 3-year-old Hevea brasiliensis trees was located in northeast Thailand. Tree circumference, predawn leaf water potential (p), soil water potential (s), and micrometeorological parameters were monitored from 2007 to 2010. Results show spatial and temporal variability of growth with a threshold value of leaf water potential of −0.4 MPa for growth. This leaf water potential threshold was not associated with very dry soils as soil water potentials were higher than −0.05 Mpa. But the leaf water potential threshold was associated with a high air vapor pressure deficit higher than 3–4 kPa. Leaf water potential decreased when the soil at the bottom of the slope was saturated in the rainy season. These results provide, for the first time, evidence that soil water shortage is unexpectedly not the main cause of low growth rates. Dry air in the dry season and waterlogging in rainy season are major constraints. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Agronomy for Sustainable Development Springer Journals

Unexpected absence of control of rubber tree growth by soil water shortage in dry subhumid climate

Download PDF
8 pages

Loading next page...
 
/lp/springer-journals/unexpected-absence-of-control-of-rubber-tree-growth-by-soil-water-ihGJxY36wZ
Publisher
Springer Journals
Copyright
Copyright © 2013 by INRA and Springer-Verlag France
Subject
Life Sciences; Agriculture; Soil Science & Conservation; Sustainable Development
ISSN
1774-0746
eISSN
1773-0155
DOI
10.1007/s13593-012-0129-2
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Rubber tree cultivation is presently expanding rapidly into dry subhumid areas. As a consequence, trees face a long dry season. Low growth rates are delaying the start of tapping. The relationship between the growth rate and the soil water availability is not clear. Therefore, we studied the origin of low growth rates. For that we analyzed the relationships between growth, plant water stress, and soil water availability along a toposequence with a soil depth gradient. The plantation of 3-year-old Hevea brasiliensis trees was located in northeast Thailand. Tree circumference, predawn leaf water potential (p), soil water potential (s), and micrometeorological parameters were monitored from 2007 to 2010. Results show spatial and temporal variability of growth with a threshold value of leaf water potential of −0.4 MPa for growth. This leaf water potential threshold was not associated with very dry soils as soil water potentials were higher than −0.05 Mpa. But the leaf water potential threshold was associated with a high air vapor pressure deficit higher than 3–4 kPa. Leaf water potential decreased when the soil at the bottom of the slope was saturated in the rainy season. These results provide, for the first time, evidence that soil water shortage is unexpectedly not the main cause of low growth rates. Dry air in the dry season and waterlogging in rainy season are major constraints.

Journal

Agronomy for Sustainable Development – Springer Journals

Published: Jan 30, 2013

References

  • Significance and limits in the use of predawn leaf water potential for tree irrigation
    Ameglio, T; Archer, P; Cohen, M; Valancogne, C; Daudet, FA; Dayau, S; Cruiziat, P
  • Water relations and hydraulic architecture in Cerrado trees: adjustments to seasonal changes in water availability and evaporative demand
    Bucci, SJ; Scholz, FG; Goldstein, G; Meinzer, FC; Franco, AC; Zhang, Y; Hao, GY
  • The water relations of rubber (Hevea brasiliensis): a review
    Carr, MKV
  • An analysis of growth and drought tolerance in rubber during the immature phase in a dry subhumid climate
    Chandrashekar, TR; Nazeer, MA; Marattukalam, JG; Prakash, GP; Annamalainathan, K; Thomas, J
  • Growth pattern of rubber trees (Hevea brasiliensis) in a tropical humid climate in India
    Chandrashekar, TR; Varghese, YA; Alice, J; Sailajadevi, T; Saraswathyamma, CK; Vijayakumar, KR
  • Drought alters the canopy architecture and micro-climate of Hevea brasiliensis trees
    Devakumar, AS; Prakash, PG; Sathik, MBM; Jacob, J
  • Predawn plant water potential does not necessarily equilibrate with soil water potential under well-watered conditions
    Donovan, L; Linton, M; Richards, J
  • Methodological progress in on-farm regional agronomic diagnosis. A review
    Doré, T; Clermont-Dauphin, C; Crozat, Y; David, C; Jeuffroy, MH; Loyce, C; Makowski, D; Malézieux, E; Meynard, JM; Valantin-Morison, M
  • Observation of the growth dynamics of fine Hevea brasiliensis roots using a 4.5 m access well
    Gonkhamdee, S; Maeght, JL; Do, FC; Pierret, A
  • Water loss regulation in mature Hevea brasiliensis: effects of intermittent drought in the rainy season and hydraulic regulation
    Isarangkool Na Ayutthaya, S; Do, F; Pannangpetch, K; Junjittakarn, J; Maeght, JL; Rocheteau, A; Cochard, H
  • Expected changes in future agro-climatological conditions in northeast Thailand and their differences between general circulation models
    Masaki, Y; Ishigooka, Y; Kuwagata, T; Goto, S; Sawano, S; Hasewaga, T
  • Mechanisms of plant survival and mortality during drought: why do some plants survive while others succumb to drought
    McDowell, N; Pockman, WT; Allen, CD
  • Effect of irrigation on physiological performance of Indian immature plants of Hevea brasiliensis in North Konkan
    Mohankrishna, T; Bhaskar, CVS; Rao, PS; Chandrashekar, TR; Sethuraj, MR; Vijayakumar, KR
  • On the computation of saturation vapor pressure
    Murray, FW
  • Genetic and production innovations in field crop technology: new developments in theory and practice
    Priyadarshan, PM; Hoa, TTT; Huasun, H; Gonçalves, PS
  • An index to assess areas hydrothermally suitable for rubber cultivation
    Rao, PS; Jayarathnam, K; Sethuraj, MR
  • Fertilizer for rubber plantation
    Center, Rubber Research
  • Xylem embolism and stomatal regulation in two rubber clones (Hevea brasiliensis Muell. Arg.)
    Sangsing, K; Kasemsap, P; Thanisawanyangkura, S; Sangkhasila, K; Gohet, E; Thaler, P; Cochard, H
  • SAS language reference: dictionary, version 8
  • Irrigation requirement of rubber trees (Hevea brasiliensis) in the subhumid tropics
    Vijayakumar, KR; Dey, SK; Chandrasekhar, TR; Devakumar, AS; Mohankrishna, T; Sanjeeva Rao, P; Sethuraj, MR
  • Rubber
    Watson, GA