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Published in Soil Sci Soc Am J 20:307-310 (1956)
© 1956 Soil Science Society of America
677 S. Segoe Rd., Madison, WI 53711 USA
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Seedling Emergence of Wheat as Related to Soil Moisture Content, Bulk Density, Oxygen Diffusion Rate, and Crust Strength1

R. J. Hanks and F. C. Thorp2

ABSTRACT

Wheat seedling emergence was measured on three soils varying in texture from a silty clay loam to a fine sandy loam with different combinations of soil moisture, bulk density, oxygen diffusion rate, and crust strength. The ultimate seedling emergence was nearly the same when the moisture content was maintained between field capacity and the wilting percentage, if other factors were optimum for maximum seedling emergence. The rate of seedling emergence, however, was related directly to the moisture content in the moisture range studied. Bulk density was varied from optimum to maximum field compaction. The data indicate that bulk density was related indirectly to seedling emergence in that any change in bulk density changed other factors such as oxygen diffusion rate and soil crust strength. Oxygen appeared to be a limiting factor whenever the oxygen diffusion rate was below 75 to 100 x 10-8 g./cm.2/min. This corresponded to air pore space of about 16% or lower in the silty clay loam and to 25% or lower in the fine sandy loam. Crust strength, as measured by modulus of rupture, apparently limited seedling emergence in the dryer end of the available moisture range. The limiting crust strength was between 200 and 500 millibars and appeared to decrease as the amount of available moisture decreased.

NOTES

1 Contribution 527 Department of Agronomy, Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station, Manhattan, Kans. and Soil and Water Conservation Research Branch, A.R.S., U.S.D.A.

2 Agent (Soil Scientists).

Received for publication July 7, 1955.




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Copyright © 1956 by the Soil Science Society of America.