In-situ Beschreibung des Wurzelsystems von Hopfen und Mais über Freilegung am Bodenprofil

As part of the workshop “Root and rhizosphere: Ecophysiology, humus condition and soil management” which was conducted in September 2015, root excavations of hops and maize were performed in Wolnzach (Bavaria). The main intention was to demonstrate the possibilities and the value of field root excavation on real world cases. A question if the above-ground difference in hops growth due to irrigation is reflected in the root development was verified. The poorly developed hop plants had shallow rooting depth of about 130 cm, while the plants with apparently higher biomass developed abundant root systems down to 370 cm depth. The development of maize plants in conservation agriculture farming using direct seeding was also investigated. In contrast to other sites, more shoot roots and long side roots were found to grow deeply reaching 140 cm soil depth.