Root:shoot ratio of field crops under conventional and conservation tillage: A meta analysis

Seyed Hamid Ahmadi; Sabine Julia Seidel; Gina Lopez; Bahareh Kamali; Thomas Gaiser; Sofia Hadir; Dereje Tamiru Demie; Mathias Neumann Andersen; Frank Ewert; Ixchel Hernandez Ochoa

doi:10.1111/sum.70026

Root:shoot ratio of field crops under conventional and conservation tillage: A meta analysis

Seyed Hamid Ahmadi^*, Sabine Julia Seidel^*, Gina Lopez, Bahareh Kamali, Thomas Gaiser, Sofia Hadir, Dereje Tamiru Demie, Mathias Neumann Andersen, Frank Ewert, Ixchel Hernandez Ochoa

^*Corresponding author for this work

Department of Agroecology - Climate and Water

Research output: Contribution to journal/Conference contribution in journal/Contribution to newspaper › Review › Research › peer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

Conventional tillage (CT) is a widely used agricultural practice aimed at loosening soil to enhance water infiltration and root growth. However, it can lead to environmental issues such as increased soil erosion and loss of nutrients and carbon. To address these challenges, non-conventional tillage systems like no-tillage and minimum tillage (collectively referred to as NT) have gained popularity in recent decades. This review examines the effects of CT and NT on the root: shoot ratio (R:S) based on 28 studies covering common crops across various climates and managements. Most studies were primarily on maize, wheat, rapeseed and barley. Meta-analysis showed non-significant differences (p =.27) among these crops with respect to their response of R:S to the two tillage practices. Rapeseed and barley exhibited higher R:S in NT by 2% and 15%, while maize and wheat demonstrated higher R:S in CT by 2% and 6%, respectively, although the effects where not significant. In terms of soil texture classes, crops grown in sandy soils had a higher R:S under CT than NT, but no significant differences were found (p =.19). However, significant differences emerged among soil textures, with silty clay, sandy loam and clay loam showing the highest R:S (p <.05) while a cluster of sandy clay loam, clay and loam had lower R:S. Additionally, dicot crops displayed an 8% higher R:S under NT compared with CT, although this was not statistically significant (p =.24). Results indicated no significant differences (p =.22) in R:S between deep (>30 cm) and shallow (<30 cm) root sampling depths. The findings indicate that more field experiments are needed to fully understand the impact of tillage methods on R:S across genotypes, environments and managements.

Original language	English
Article number	e70026
Journal	Soil Use and Management
Volume	41
Issue	1
ISSN	0266-0032
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/sum.70026
Publication status	Published - Jan 2025

Keywords

conservation tillage
conventional tillage
crop species
monocot and dicot crops
root:shoot ratio
soil texture

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title = "Root:shoot ratio of field crops under conventional and conservation tillage: A meta analysis",

abstract = "Conventional tillage (CT) is a widely used agricultural practice aimed at loosening soil to enhance water infiltration and root growth. However, it can lead to environmental issues such as increased soil erosion and loss of nutrients and carbon. To address these challenges, non-conventional tillage systems like no-tillage and minimum tillage (collectively referred to as NT) have gained popularity in recent decades. This review examines the effects of CT and NT on the root: shoot ratio (R:S) based on 28 studies covering common crops across various climates and managements. Most studies were primarily on maize, wheat, rapeseed and barley. Meta-analysis showed non-significant differences (p =.27) among these crops with respect to their response of R:S to the two tillage practices. Rapeseed and barley exhibited higher R:S in NT by 2% and 15%, while maize and wheat demonstrated higher R:S in CT by 2% and 6%, respectively, although the effects where not significant. In terms of soil texture classes, crops grown in sandy soils had a higher R:S under CT than NT, but no significant differences were found (p =.19). However, significant differences emerged among soil textures, with silty clay, sandy loam and clay loam showing the highest R:S (p <.05) while a cluster of sandy clay loam, clay and loam had lower R:S. Additionally, dicot crops displayed an 8% higher R:S under NT compared with CT, although this was not statistically significant (p =.24). Results indicated no significant differences (p =.22) in R:S between deep (>30 cm) and shallow (<30 cm) root sampling depths. The findings indicate that more field experiments are needed to fully understand the impact of tillage methods on R:S across genotypes, environments and managements.",

keywords = "conservation tillage, conventional tillage, crop species, monocot and dicot crops, root:shoot ratio, soil texture",

author = "Ahmadi, {Seyed Hamid} and Seidel, {Sabine Julia} and Gina Lopez and Bahareh Kamali and Thomas Gaiser and Sofia Hadir and Demie, {Dereje Tamiru} and Andersen, {Mathias Neumann} and Frank Ewert and Ochoa, {Ixchel Hernandez}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2025 The Author(s). Soil Use and Management published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Society of Soil Science.",

year = "2025",

month = jan,

doi = "10.1111/sum.70026",

language = "English",

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T1 - Root:shoot ratio of field crops under conventional and conservation tillage

T2 - A meta analysis

AU - Ahmadi, Seyed Hamid

AU - Seidel, Sabine Julia

AU - Lopez, Gina

AU - Kamali, Bahareh

AU - Gaiser, Thomas

AU - Hadir, Sofia

AU - Demie, Dereje Tamiru

AU - Andersen, Mathias Neumann

AU - Ewert, Frank

AU - Ochoa, Ixchel Hernandez

PY - 2025/1

Y1 - 2025/1

N2 - Conventional tillage (CT) is a widely used agricultural practice aimed at loosening soil to enhance water infiltration and root growth. However, it can lead to environmental issues such as increased soil erosion and loss of nutrients and carbon. To address these challenges, non-conventional tillage systems like no-tillage and minimum tillage (collectively referred to as NT) have gained popularity in recent decades. This review examines the effects of CT and NT on the root: shoot ratio (R:S) based on 28 studies covering common crops across various climates and managements. Most studies were primarily on maize, wheat, rapeseed and barley. Meta-analysis showed non-significant differences (p =.27) among these crops with respect to their response of R:S to the two tillage practices. Rapeseed and barley exhibited higher R:S in NT by 2% and 15%, while maize and wheat demonstrated higher R:S in CT by 2% and 6%, respectively, although the effects where not significant. In terms of soil texture classes, crops grown in sandy soils had a higher R:S under CT than NT, but no significant differences were found (p =.19). However, significant differences emerged among soil textures, with silty clay, sandy loam and clay loam showing the highest R:S (p <.05) while a cluster of sandy clay loam, clay and loam had lower R:S. Additionally, dicot crops displayed an 8% higher R:S under NT compared with CT, although this was not statistically significant (p =.24). Results indicated no significant differences (p =.22) in R:S between deep (>30 cm) and shallow (<30 cm) root sampling depths. The findings indicate that more field experiments are needed to fully understand the impact of tillage methods on R:S across genotypes, environments and managements.

AB - Conventional tillage (CT) is a widely used agricultural practice aimed at loosening soil to enhance water infiltration and root growth. However, it can lead to environmental issues such as increased soil erosion and loss of nutrients and carbon. To address these challenges, non-conventional tillage systems like no-tillage and minimum tillage (collectively referred to as NT) have gained popularity in recent decades. This review examines the effects of CT and NT on the root: shoot ratio (R:S) based on 28 studies covering common crops across various climates and managements. Most studies were primarily on maize, wheat, rapeseed and barley. Meta-analysis showed non-significant differences (p =.27) among these crops with respect to their response of R:S to the two tillage practices. Rapeseed and barley exhibited higher R:S in NT by 2% and 15%, while maize and wheat demonstrated higher R:S in CT by 2% and 6%, respectively, although the effects where not significant. In terms of soil texture classes, crops grown in sandy soils had a higher R:S under CT than NT, but no significant differences were found (p =.19). However, significant differences emerged among soil textures, with silty clay, sandy loam and clay loam showing the highest R:S (p <.05) while a cluster of sandy clay loam, clay and loam had lower R:S. Additionally, dicot crops displayed an 8% higher R:S under NT compared with CT, although this was not statistically significant (p =.24). Results indicated no significant differences (p =.22) in R:S between deep (>30 cm) and shallow (<30 cm) root sampling depths. The findings indicate that more field experiments are needed to fully understand the impact of tillage methods on R:S across genotypes, environments and managements.

KW - conservation tillage

KW - conventional tillage

KW - crop species

KW - monocot and dicot crops

KW - root:shoot ratio

KW - soil texture

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U2 - 10.1111/sum.70026

DO - 10.1111/sum.70026

M3 - Review

AN - SCOPUS:85216273856

SN - 0266-0032

VL - 41

JO - Soil Use and Management

JF - Soil Use and Management

IS - 1

M1 - e70026

ER -

Root:shoot ratio of field crops under conventional and conservation tillage: A meta analysis

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Keywords

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