Rooting out soil compaction 🌱⬇️

⌬ Phytohormones, particularly ethylene, auxin, and abscisic acid (ABA), play crucial roles in controlling root growth responses to soil compaction.

🔎 In compacted soil, ethylene accumulation around root tips (due to reduced gas diffusion) triggers growth inhibition, reducing root elongation and increasing radial swelling.

🔻 The increased auxin response in the meristematic and elongation zone of epidermal cells results in decreased cell elongation and root growth.

🔀 The combined effects of auxin and ABA generally reduce the ability of roots to elongate rapidly in hard soils.

💧 Soil compaction during dry periods may trigger increased ABA levels due to water limitation, further hindering root growth responses.

👨🌾 There are several strategies to cope with compacted soils:

– Implementing diverse crop rotations to take advantage of different rooting patterns and depths

– Application of deep-rooting cover crops or biological tillage to naturally break up compacted layers

– Avoiding heavy machinery use when soil is wet to prevent further compaction

– Implementing precise irrigation to avoid waterlogging, which can exacerbate compaction issues

– Soil amendment with organic materials that enrich soil fauna that naturally aerate the soil through the creation of pore space

Image: phytohormonal responses to compacted soil (credits: Whalley et al. 2024 In: Beeckman & Eshel (Eds.) 2024 Plant Roots: The Hidden Half; ISBN: 978103235031).

#soil #agriculture #farming