Articles
The impact of climate change on nutrition of deciduous perennial cropping systems
Article number
1432_16
Pages
117 – 124
Language
English
Abstract
Perennial crops have different nutrient requirements during the growing season, depending on their productivity levels.
Nutrient reserves in the perennial structure are crucial for tree or grapevine development, especially in spring, when nutrient uptake is limited, but also during the growing season if nutrient supply is below requirements.
Climate change and extreme weather events are likely to influence plant nutrition: firstly, nutrient acquisition is influenced by carbohydrate supply from photosynthesis and reserves.
Therefore, the alteration in carbohydrate dynamics through elevated carbon dioxide and air temperature are likely to impact nutrient acquisition.
Secondly, nutrient availability is influenced by soil factors, particularly temperature and moisture in the rootzone.
Whereas it is known that temperature will increase, changes in soil moisture are more difficult to predict, mostly due to shifts in precipitation patterns.
However, it is likely that soil available water will decline due to increase of elevated air temperature on plant water use.
The overall increase in soil temperature and a more pronounced variation throughout the growing season and during the day impacts on the soil and root processes.
We have shown in several studies that warmer soil temperatures resulted in higher carbohydrate mobilisation of roots, elevating above-ground growth and development.
The soil processes will likely contribute to further advancement of this growth, through higher mobilisation of nitrogen from the soil organic matter.
The temperature fluctuations are more pronounced in the upper soil layer where most of the nutrients are located.
When soil moisture decreases and the temperatures rise to a level where root function is compromised, these resources are most likely less accessible.
This indicates that adaptation strategies are required to buffer temperature and moisture fluctuations in the nutrient rich layer of perennial production systems.
Nutrient reserves in the perennial structure are crucial for tree or grapevine development, especially in spring, when nutrient uptake is limited, but also during the growing season if nutrient supply is below requirements.
Climate change and extreme weather events are likely to influence plant nutrition: firstly, nutrient acquisition is influenced by carbohydrate supply from photosynthesis and reserves.
Therefore, the alteration in carbohydrate dynamics through elevated carbon dioxide and air temperature are likely to impact nutrient acquisition.
Secondly, nutrient availability is influenced by soil factors, particularly temperature and moisture in the rootzone.
Whereas it is known that temperature will increase, changes in soil moisture are more difficult to predict, mostly due to shifts in precipitation patterns.
However, it is likely that soil available water will decline due to increase of elevated air temperature on plant water use.
The overall increase in soil temperature and a more pronounced variation throughout the growing season and during the day impacts on the soil and root processes.
We have shown in several studies that warmer soil temperatures resulted in higher carbohydrate mobilisation of roots, elevating above-ground growth and development.
The soil processes will likely contribute to further advancement of this growth, through higher mobilisation of nitrogen from the soil organic matter.
The temperature fluctuations are more pronounced in the upper soil layer where most of the nutrients are located.
When soil moisture decreases and the temperatures rise to a level where root function is compromised, these resources are most likely less accessible.
This indicates that adaptation strategies are required to buffer temperature and moisture fluctuations in the nutrient rich layer of perennial production systems.
Authors
B. Holzapfel, M. Wegher, O. Idowu
Keywords
soil temperature, carbon dioxide, soil moisture, nutrients, availability
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