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.
- 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
"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