Water Dynamics in Plant Production

Water Dynamics in Plant Production

Author: W. Ehlers, M. Goss
ISBN: 9780851996943
Pages: 304
Format: 18 Χ 25
Binding: Hardback
Pub. Year: 2003


Readership
Water resource managers, lecturers, researchers and advanced students of plant, soil and environmental sciences, agronomy, agricultural meteorology, geobotany, geography, plant nutrition and field crop production.

Key Features
• Links modern aspects of water transport in soil and plant with water use and crop production and derives consequences for soil and crop management
• Offers a readily-understandable approach to a wealth of international research in the area of plant-water relationship in one single volume
• Can be used as an excellent reference document as well as for very specific questions

Main Description
In many regions of the world, water is scarce. This causes a problem in plant production, as plants rely on water stored in the soil to meet their needs; thus it is the principal factor limiting crop production.
Water Dynamics in Plant Production describes the basic scientific principles of water transport in the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum, explains the linkage between transpirational water use and dry matter production and presents various agronomic strategies to adapt to climate water shortage.

Reviews
• I recommend the book very highly as a major contribution to the vital task of achieving an integrated, multi-disciplinary understanding of water dynamics in plant production...Both the science and practice of water use in the field are treated in a comprehensive ad comprehensible manner."
Daniel Hillel, The Quarterly Review of Biology, 80, 2005
• "The book will be a very valuable text for all agronomy students and an excellent introduction for postgraduate students. It will also be a very useful addition to my library."
W R Whalley, Agricultural Science, 142, 2004
• "Each chapter is carefully prepared and provides clear conclusions which make it easier to look for specific subjects of interest for readers.... This book may be recommended to university students of biology and/or agronomy as well as specialists working in the field of crop and plant physiology and ecology."
M T Grzesiak and T Hura, Acta Physiologiae, 2005

Main Contents
The role of water in plant life
• Functions of water in the plant
• Adaptation strategies of plants to overcome water shortage
• Water and net primary production
• Water and type of vegetation
The role of water in soil
• Soil genesis and soil functions
• Soil fauna and vegetation cover
The interdependency of soil and vegetation
• The significance of the soil for water storage
• Transpiration and seepage of water with different types of vegetation
Properties and energy state of water
• Physical-chemical properties
• The concept of water potential and the Darcy equation
Water storage and movement in soil
• Fundamentals and principles
• Evaporation
• Infiltration and water transport
The root - The plant's organ for water uptake
• The role of the root in the plant
• Structure of the root tip
• Root systems
The water balance of the plant
• Water potentials in plant cells
• Water uptake by roots
• Transpiration by leaves
• The action of stomatal guard cells
• Water transport within the plant
• Water potentials in plants
The plant as a link between soil and atmosphere: an overview
• The soil - plant - atmosphere continuum (SPAC)
• Potential evapotranspiration
• Relations between potential evapotranspiration, soil water and transpiration
Water use by crops
• Growth of roots and leaves
• Leaf area index and transpiration
• Root system development and water uptake
• How much of the soil water is extractable by plant roots?
• Stomatal control of water vapour loss
• Water use throughout the growing season
• How to determine the components of the field water balance
• Numerical simulation
Radiation and dry matter production
• Radiation and net photosynthesis of single leaves
• Radiation interception and dry matter accumulation in crop stands
Water use and dry matter production
• Relations and their optimization
• The transpiration ratio and a related standard
• Water use and an estimate of dry matter production
Influence of nutrient supply on water use and establishment of yield
• Yield dependency on water and nutrient supply
• Influence of nutrient supply on the relation between water use and yield
• Transpiration efficiency and fertilizer application
Yield formation under inadequate water supply
• Physiological reactions and assimilate partitioning
• Economic yield
• Water shortage at different phenological stages
Water stress in plants
• Measuring water stress in plants
• How plants perceive water stress
Climatic factors influencing yield
• Growth limiting climatic factors
• Climate change
• Plants, soils and cropping pattern in a changing environment
Breeding for yield and water use
• Comparing old and new cultivars
• Future strategies in plant breeding
Controlling the soil's water balance by soil management
• Which of the balance components can be changed?
• Controlling infiltration
• Controlling evaporation
• Increasing the quantity of extractable soil water
• Conservation tillage
Controlling water use by crop management
• Crop rotation
• Choice of species and cultivars
• Seeding and stand density
• Fertilizer application
Irrigation
• Need, concerns, problems
• Tapping water - The basis of early civilizations
• Water requirement of crops
• Timing and adjusting the application of water
• Efficient water use
• Irrigation methods
• Epilogue
• References
• Subject index