Application Research of PETD Combined with MRI Nerve Root Water Imaging in the Minimally Invasive Treatment of LDH

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the safety and efficacy of PETD combined with nerve root water imaging of MRI for the treatment of lumbar disc herniation. Methods: A retrospective review was performed on 62 patients with lumbar disc herniation from March 2019 to March 2021. The study included an experimental group of 30 patients and a control group of 32 patients. The experimental group underwent PETD combined with nerve root water imaging of MRI, while the control group received traditional PETD treatment. The visual analogue scoring method (VAS score), and JOA lumbar spine function score before and after surgery were compared between the two groups, and efficacy was assessed and compared using the MacNab score. Results: The mean operation time was significantly reduced in the experimental group (56.43 ±10.40 minutes) compared to the control group (65.69 ±14.12 minutes). The VAS score was compared between the two groups with preoperative (p = 0.624), one month after surgery (p = 0.325), three months after surgery (p = 0.676), one year after surgery (p = 0.341);The JOA score was compared between the two groups with preoperative (p = 0.961), one month after the surgery (p = 0.266), three months after surgery (p = 0.185), one year after surgery (p = 0.870), they were no significant statistical difference;The efficacy evaluation of the last follow-up Macnab showed that all the 30 patients in the experimental group were excellent, 31 of 32 patients in the control group were excellent, 1 case was good;There was no statistical difference in the comparison between the two groups (p > 0.05). Conclusion: The study concludes that the combined approach of PETD with nerve root water imaging of MRI is a safe, effective, and more efficient alternative to conventional PETD for treating lumbar disc herniation.

A Preliminary Study on Models of Root Water Uptake Based on Root Weight

Water uptake by crop roots is influenced by many factors. In this study, on the basis of previous studies, root water uptake models were established with the root weight as a dependent variable from the perspective of root biomass changes according to the theory of soil water dynamics. The established models were verified and evaluated using two indicators： root-mean-square error （RMSE） and mean absolute percentage error （MAPE）. The results indicated that the annual variation range of root-mean-square error （RMSE） was 0.477-1.231, with an aver- age of 0.810; the annual variation range of mean absolute percentage error （MAPE） was 1.082%-4.052%, with an average of 2.520%, suggesting that the simulation accuracy basically met the requirements. The established numerical models of root water uptake and the compiled program exhibit high simulation accuracy, which can perfectly simulate soil water dynamics during the growth period of crops under nat- ural conditions.

Modelling soil water dynamics and root water uptake for apple trees under water storage pit irrigation

Water storage pit irrigation is a new method suitable for apple trees.It comes with advantages such as water saving,water retention and drought resistance.A precise study of soil water movement and root water uptake is essential to analyse and show the advantages of the method.In this study,a mathematical model(WSPI-WR model)for 3D soil water movement and root water uptake under water storage pit irrigation was established based on soil water dynamics and soil moisture and root distributions.Moreover,this model also considers the soil evaporation,pit wall evaporation and water level variation in the pit.The finite element method was used to solve the model,and the law of mass conservation was used to analyse the water level variation.The model was validated by experimental data of the sap flow of apple trees and soil moisture in the orchard.Results showed that the WSPI-WR model is highly accurate in simulating the root water uptake and soil water distributions.The WSPI-WR model can be used to simulate root water uptake and soil water movement under water storage pit irrigation.The simulation showed that orchard soil water content and root water uptake rate centers on the storage pit with an ellipsoid distribution.The maximum distribution region of soil water and root water uptake rate was near the bottom of the pit.Distribution can reduce soil evaporation in the orchard and improve the soil water use efficiency in the middle-deep soil.

Effects of Optimized Root Water Uptake Parameterization Schemes on Water and Heat Flux Simulation in a Maize Agroecosystem

As root water uptake（RWU）is an important link in the water and heat exchange between plants and ambient air,improving its parameterization is key to enhancing the performance of land surface model simulations.Although different types of RWU functions have been adopted in land surface models,there is no evidence as to which scheme most applicable to maize farmland ecosystems.Based on the 2007–09 data collected at the farmland ecosystem field station in Jinzhou,the RWU function in the Common Land Model（Co LM）was optimized with scheme options in light of factors determining whether roots absorb water from a certain soil layer（W_x）and whether the baseline cumulative root efficiency required for maximum plant transpiration（W_c）is reached.The sensibility of the parameters of the optimization scheme was investigated,and then the effects of the optimized RWU function on water and heat flux simulation were evaluated.The results indicate that the model simulation was not sensitive to W_x but was significantly impacted by W_c.With the original model,soil humidity was somewhat underestimated for precipitation-free days;soil temperature was simulated with obvious interannual and seasonal differences and remarkable underestimations for the maize late-growth stage;and sensible and latent heat fluxes were overestimated and underestimated,respectively,for years with relatively less precipitation,and both were simulated with high accuracy for years with relatively more precipitation.The optimized RWU process resulted in a significant improvement of Co LM’s performance in simulating soil humidity,temperature,sensible heat,and latent heat,for dry years.In conclusion,the optimized RWU scheme available for the Co LM model is applicable to the simulation of water and heat flux for maize farmland ecosystems in arid areas.

Proteome analysis of alfalfa roots in response to water deficit stress

To evaluate the response of alfalfa to water deficit （WD） stress, WD-induced candidates were investigated through a proteomic approach. Alfalfa seedlings were exposed to WD stress for 12 and 15 days respectively, followed by 3 days re-watering. Water deficit increased H202 content, lipid peroxidation, DPPH （1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl）-radical scavenging activity, and the free proline level in alfalfa roots. Root proteins were extracted and separated by two-dimentional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis （2-DE）. A total of 49 WD-responsive proteins were identified in alfalfa roots; 25 proteins were reproducibly found to be up-regulated and 24 were down-regulated. Two proteins, namely cytosolic ascorbate peroxidase （APx2） and putative F-box protein were newly detected on 2-DE maps of WD-treated plants. We identified several proteins including agamous-like 65, albumin b-32, inward rectifying potassium channel, and auxin-independent growth promoter. The identified proteins are involved in a variety of cellular functions including calcium signaling, abacisic acid （ABA） biosynthesis, reactive oxygen species （ROS） regulation, transcription/translation, antioxidant/detoxification/stress defense, energy metabolism, signal transduction, and storage. These results indicate the potential candidates were responsible for adaptive response in alfalfa roots.

Effects of Phosphorus Application in Different Soil Layers on Root Growth, Yield, and Water-Use Efficiency of Winter Wheat Grown Under Semi-Arid Conditions

Deep phosphorus application can be a usefull measure to improve crops＇ performance in semi-arid regions, but more knowledge of both its general effects and effects on specific crops is required to optimize treatments. Thus, the aims of this study were to evaluate the effects of phosphorus（P） application at different soil layers on root growth, grain yield, and water-use efficiency（WUE） of winter wheat grown on the semi-arid Loess Plateau of China and to explore the relationship between root distribution and grain yield. The experiment consisted of four P treatments in a randomized complete block design with three replicates and two cultivars： one drought-sensitive（Xiaoyan 22, XY22） and one drought-tolerant（Changhan 58, CH58）. The four P treatments were no P（control, CK）, surface P（SP）, deep P（DP）, and deep-band P application（DBP）. CH58 produced larger and deeper root systems, and had higher grain yields and WUE, under the deep P treatments（DP and DBP） than under SP, clearly showing that deep P placement had beneficial effects on the drought-tolerant cultivar. In contrast, the grain yield and root growth of XY22 did not differ between DP or DBP and SP treatments. Further, root dry weight（RW） and root length（RL） in deep soil layer（30-100 cm） were closely positively correlated with grain yield and WUE of CH58（but not XY22）, highlighting the connections between a well-developed subsoil root system and both high grain yield and WUE for the drought-tolerant cultivar. WUE correlated strongly with grain yield for both cultivars（r=0.94, P〈0.001）. In conclusion, deep application of P fertilizer is a practical and feasible means of increasing grain yield and WUE of rainfed winter wheat in semi-arid regions, by promoting deep root development of drought-tolerant cultivars.

The Response of Winter Wheat Root to the Period and the After-Effect of Soil Water Stress

To reveal the period and after-effect of soil water stress on winter wheat, the article employs the experiment results carried out in the greenhouse. The results showed that the root-restricted weights varied with stress degrees and stress times during and after water stressing. In the course of stress, the chief reason resticting the weight of root was the stress intensity at this time, and that of severe stress treatment was larger than that of mild stress treatment. After water stress was relieved, the results of the after-effect of soil water stress on root growth were that, the stress intensity of short-time and mild stress was larger than that of long-time and severe stress. Comparing two-stage stress intensities, root-restricted weight resulted from after-effect intensity of stress under all of the short-time treatment, and the mild and the long-time stress treatments, while that resulted from the period stress intensity under the severe and the long-time stress treatments. In general, the effects of water stress on root were attributed to the three factors, a formed basis in the previous stage, the after-effect of water condition before this stage and influence of water in this stage, which lead to the characters of root in the whole growth stage.

Root Function in Nutrient Uptake and Soil Water Effect on NO3^- -N and NH4^+ -N Migration

Root function in uptake of nutrients and the effect of soil water on the transfer and distribution of NO3^--N in arable soil were studied using summer maize （Zea mays L. var. Shandan 9） as a testing crop. Results showed that root growth and water supply had a significant effect on NO3^--N transfer and made NO3^--N distributed evenly from bulk soil to rhizosphere soil. Under a natural condition with irrigation, the difference of NO3^--N concentration at different distance points from a maize plant was smaller, while obvious difference of NO3^--N concentration was observed under conditions of limited root growth space without irrigation. Whether root growth space was restricted or not, the content of soil NO3^--N decreased gradually from 10 to 0 cm from the plant, being opposite to the root absorbing area in soils. When root-grown space was limited, changes of NO3^--N concentration at different distances from a plant were similar to that of water content in tendency. Results showed that NO3^--N could be transferred as solute to plant root systems with water uptake by plants. However, the transfer and distribution of NH4^--N were not influenced by root growth and soil water supply, being different to NO3^--N.

Effects of Soil Water Content on Cotton Root Growth and Distribution Under Mulched Drip Irrigation

The relation between soil water content and the growth of cotton root was studied for the scheme of field water and cotton yield under mulched drip irrigation. Based on the field experiments, three treatments of soil water content were conducted with 90%, 75%θf, and 60%θf （θfis field water capacity）. Cotton roots and root-shoot ratio were studied with digging method, and the soil moisture was observed with TDR （time domain reflector）, and cotton yield was measured. The results indicated that the growth of cotton root accorded with Logistic growth curve in the three treatments, the cotton root grew quickly and its weight was very high under 75%θf because of the suitable soil water condition, while grew slowly and its weight was lower under 90%θf due to water moisture beyond the suitable condition, and the root weight was in between under 60%θf For the three water treatments, the cotton root weight decreased with soil depth, and decreased more significantly in deeper soil layer with the soil moisture increasing. And the ratio of cotton root weight in 0-30 cm soil layer to the total root weight was the highest under 75%θf. The cotton root system was distributed mainly in the soil of narrow row and wide row mulched with plastic film, and little in the soil outside plastic film. The weight of cotton root was the highest in the soil of narrow row or wide row mulched with plastic film under 75%θf. Root-shoot ratio decreased with the soil moisture increasing. The soil water content affected cotton yields, and cotton yield was the highest under 75%θf. The higher soil moisture level is unfavorable to the growth of cotton root system and yield of cotton under mulched drip irrigation.

Root length density distribution and associated soil water dynamics for tomato plants under furrow irrigation in a solar greenhouse

Furrow irrigation is a traditional widely-used irrigation method in the world. Understanding the dynamics of soil water distribution is essential to developing effective furrow irrigation strategies, especially in water-limited regions. The objectives of this study are to analyze root length density distribution and to explore soil water dynamics by simulating soil water content using a HYDRUS-2D model with consideration of root water uptake for furrow irrigated tomato plants in a solar greenhouse in Northwest China. Soil water contents were also in-situ observed by the ECH_2O sensors from 4 June to 19 June and from 21 June to 4 July, 2012. Results showed that the root length density of tomato plants was concentrated in the 0–50 cm soil layers, and radiated 0–18 cm toward the furrow and 0–30 cm along the bed axis. Soil water content values simulated by the HYDRUS-2D model agreed well with those observed by the ECH_2O sensors, with regression coefficient of 0.988, coefficient of determination of 0.89, and index of agreement of 0.97. The HYDRUS-2D model with the calibrated parameters was then applied to explore the optimal irrigation scheduling. Infrequent irrigation with a large amount of water for each irrigation event could result in 10%–18% of the irrigation water losses. Thus we recommend high irrigation frequency with a low amount of water for each irrigation event in greenhouses for arid region. The maximum high irrigation amount and the suitable irrigation interval required to avoid plant water stress and drainage water were 34 mm and 6 days, respectively, for given daily average transpiration rate of 4.0 mm/d. To sum up, the HYDRUS-2D model with consideration of root water uptake can be used to improve irrigation scheduling for furrow irrigated tomato plants in greenhouses in arid regions.

Incorporation of a Dynamic Root Distribution into CLM4.5： Evaluation of Carbon and Water Fluxes over the Amazon

Roots are responsible for the uptake of water and nutrients by plants and have the plasticity to dynamically respond to different environmental conditions. However, most land surface models currently prescribe rooting profiles as a function only of vegetation type, with no consideration of the surroundings. In this study, a dynamic rooting scheme, which describes root growth as a compromise between water and nitrogen availability, was incorporated into CLM4.5 with carbon-nitrogen （CN） interactions （CLM4.5-CN） to investigate the effects of a dynamic root distribution on eco-hydrological modeling. Two paired numerical simulations were conducted for the Tapajos National Forest km83 （BRSa3） site and the Amazon, one using CLM4.5-CN without the dynamic rooting scheme and the other including the proposed scheme. Simulations for the BRSa3 site showed that inclusion of the dynamic rooting scheme increased the amplitudes and peak values of diurnal gross primary production （GPP） and latent heat flux （LE） for the dry season, and improved the carbon （C） and water cycle modeling by reducing the RMSE of GPP by 0.4 g C m^-2 d^-1, net ecosystem exchange by 1.96 g C m^-2 d^-1, LE by 5.0 W m^-2, and soil moisture by 0.03 m^3 m^-3, at the seasonal scale, compared with eddy flux measurements, while having little impact during the wet season. For the Amazon, regional analysis also revealed that vegetation responses （including GPP and LE） to seasonal drought and the severe drought of 2005 were better captured with the dynamic rooting scheme incorporated.

Construction of Rural Grass-roots Water Conservancy Service System in the Context of Institutional Changes

At present,it is urgent to solve problems of reforming and improving grass-roots water conservancy management mode in rural areas and improving rural water conservancy public service ability. Through analyzing institutional changes of grass-roots water conservancy management in rural areas,this paper discussed current situations and outstanding problems in grass-roots water conservancy services in rural areas of Kunming City. On the basis of current situations and problems,it came up with policy recommendations from reform of management institutions,reform of personnel system,construction of human resources,development of rural water use cooperation organizations,and improvement of fund input mechanism,to build rural grass-roots water conservancy service system.

Relation of Root Growth of Rice Seedling with Nutrition and Water Use Efficiency Under Different Water Supply Conditions

Water deficiency is one of the primary yield-limiting factors in rice. In plants, the nutrition and water use efficiency depend on root growth efficiency under different water supply conditions （WSC）. Three rice genotypes, Azucena （an upland japonica）, IR1552 （a lowland indica） and Jia 9522 （a lowland japonica）, were grown under different WSC with 0 cm （submerged）, 40 cm and 80 cm groundwater levels below the soil surface to investigate the root parameters, water use efficiency, nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium contents, net photosynthetic rate and transpiration rate of the rice plant. The relative parameters were defined as the ratio of the parameters under submerged conditions （0 cm groundwater level below soil surface） to these under upland conditions （40 cm and 80 cm groundwater levels below soil surface）. The results indicated that different genotypes showed different relative root parameters and relative nutrition content and water use efficiency under different WSC. The length and number of adventitious root are more important than seminal root length in water and nutrition uptake, and maintaining the grain yield and increasing dry matter, but the adventitious root number could not be served as an index for screening drought-resistant genotypes. Furthermore, different drought-resistant genotypes have been also found, and Azucena was resistant to drought, IR1552 sensitive to drought and Jia 9522 neither sensitive nor resistant to drought.

Water Deficit Stress Effects on Corn (<i>Zea mays</i>, L.) Root:Shoot Ratio

A study was conducted at Akron, CO, USA, on a Weld silt loam in 2004 to quantify the effects of water deficit stress on corn (Zea mays, L.) root and shoot biomass. Corn plants were grown under a range of soil bulk density and water conditions caused by previous tillage, crop rotation, and irrigation management. Water deficit stress (Dstress) was quantified by the number of days when the water content in the surface 0.3 m deviated from the water content range determined by the Least Limiting Water Range (LLWR). Root and shoot samples were collected at the V6, V12, and R1 growth stages. There was no significant correlation between Dstress and shoot or root biomass at the V6 growth stage. At the V12 and R1 growth stages, there were negative, linear correlations among Dstress and both root biomass and shoot biomass. The proportional decrease of shoot biomass was greater than the proportional decrease in root biomass, leading to an increase in the root:shoot ratio as water deficit stress increased at all growth stages. Determining restrictive soil conditions using the LLWR may be useful for evaluating improvement or degradation of the soil physical environment caused by soil management.

Optimal root system strategies for desert phreatophytic seedlings in the search for groundwater

Desert phreatophytes are greatly dependent on groundwater, but how their root systems adapt to different groundwater depths is poorly understood. In the present study, shoot and root growths of Alhagi sparsifolia Shap. seedlings were studied across a gradient of groundwater depths. Leaves, stems and roots of different orders were measured after 120 days of different groundwater treatments. Results indicated that the depth of soil wetting front and the vertical distribution of soil water contents were highly controlled by groundwater depths. The shoot growth and biomass of A. sparsifolia decreased, but the root growth and rooting depth increased under deeper groundwater conditions. The higher ratios of root biomass, root/shoot and root length/leaf area under deeper groundwater conditions implied that seedlings of A. sparsifolia economized carbon cost on their shoot growths. The roots of A. sparsifolia distributed evenly around the soil wetting fronts under deeper groundwater conditions. Root diameters and root lengths of all orders were correlated with soil water availabilities both within and among treatments. Seedlings of A. sparsifolia produced finer first- and second-order roots but larger third- and fourth-order roots in dry soils. The results demonstrated that the root systems of desert phreatophytes can be optimized to acquire groundwater resources and maximize seedling growth by balancing the costs of carbon gain.

Root zone soil moisture redistribution in maize (<i>Zea mays</i>L.) under different water application regimes

Soil moisture availability to plant roots is very important for crop growth. When soil moisture is not available in the root zone, plants wilt and yield is reduced. Adequate knowledge of the distribution of soil moisture within crop’s root zone and its linkage to the amount of water applied is very important as it assists in optimising the efficient use of water and reducing yield losses. The study aimed at evaluating the spatial redistribution of soil moisture within maize roots zone under different irrigation water application regimes. The study was conducted during two irrigatation seasons of 2012 at Nkango Irrigation Scheme, Malawi. The trials consisted of factorial arrangement in a Randomised Complete Block Design (RCBD). The factors were water and nitrogen and both were at four levels. The Triscan Sensor was used to measure volumetric soil moisture contents at different vertical and lateral points. The study inferred that the degree of soil moisture loss depends on the amount of water present in the soil. The rate of soil moisture loss in 100% of full water requirement regime (100% FWRR) treatment was higher than that in 40% FWRR treatment. This was particularly noticed when maize leaves were dry. In 100% FWRR treatment, the attraction between water and the surfaces of soil particles was not tight and as such “free” water was lost through evaporation and deep percolation, while in 40% FWRR, water was strongly attracted to and held on the soil particles surfaces and as such its potential of losing water was reduced.

Dry Weight Accumulation, Root Plasticity, and Stomatal Conductance in Rice (<i>Oryza sativa</i>L.) Varieties under Drought Stress and Re-Watering Conditions

Drought is one of the main factors limiting rice (Oryza sativa L.) productivity and has become an increasingly severe problem in many regions worldwide. Establishing breeding programs to develop new drought-tolerant varieties requires an understanding of the effect of drought on rice plants and the mechanisms of drought tolerance in rice. We conducted a pot experiment to explore growth characteristics, root plasticity, and stomatal conductance in six rice varieties (DA8, Malagkit Pirurutong, Thierno Bande, Pate Blanc MN1, Kinandang Patong, and Moroberekan) in response to different drought stress and re-watering conditions. Drought stress significantly depressed plant growth, root size, and stomatal conductance in all experimental varieties. These negative effects depended on both the variety and the severity of the drought stress treatment. Under moderate drought stress (10 days after drought treatment), growth was less influenced in roots than in shoots. In contrast, there was an opposite trend under severe drought stress (15 days after drought treatment), with growth being more severely affected in roots than in shoots. Rice plants recovered from drought stress in terms of dry matter accumulation, root size, and stomatal conductance after re-watering;however, the recovery pattern differed among varieties. DA8 exhibited the highest dry weight accumulation and root size (root length, root surface area, root volume, fine root length, and thick root length) under well-watered, drought stress, and re-watering conditions. Kinandang Patong showed the highest recovery ability in dry matter accumulation, root length, root surface area, and stomatal conductance after re-watering. Malagkit Pirurutong expressed the poorest recovery ability in dry matter accumulation after re-watering. These three varieties might be selected for further experiments focusing on the mechanisms of drought tolerance and recovery ability in rice.

Water adaptive traits of deep-rooted C_3 halophyte(Karelinia caspica(Pall.) Less.) and shallow-rooted C_4 halophyte(Atriplex tatarica L.) in an arid region,Northwest China

This paper focused on the water relations of two halophytes differing in photosynthetic pathway, phe- notype, and life cycle： Karelinia caspica （Pall.） Less. （C3, deep-rooted perennial Asteraceae grass） and Atriplex tatarica L. （C4, shallow-rooted annual Chenopodiaceae grass）. Gas exchange, leaf water potential, and growth characteristics were investigated in two growing seasons in an arid area of Xinjiang to explore the physiological adaptability of the two halophytes. Both K. caspica and A. tatarica showed midday depression of transpiration, in- dicating that they were strong xerophytes and weak midday depression types. The roots of A. tatarica were con- centrated mainly in the 0-60 cm soil layer, and the leaf water potential （~L） increased sharply in the 0-20 cm layer due to high soil water content, suggesting that the upper soil was the main water source. On the other hand, K. caspica had a rooting depth of about 1.5 m and a larger root/shoot ratio, which confirmed that this species uptakes water mainly from deeper soil layer. Although A. tatarica had lower transpiration water consumption, higher water use efficiency （WUE）, and less water demand at the same leaf water potential, it showed larger water stress impact than K. caspica, indicating that the growth of A. tatarica was restricted more than that of K. caspica when there was no rainfall recharge. As a shallow-rooted C4 species, A. tatarica displayed lower stomatal conductance, which could to some extent reduce transpiration water loss and maintain leaf water potential steadily. In contrast, the deep-rooted C3 species K. caspica had a larger root/shoot ratio that was in favor of exploiting groundwater. We concluded that C3 species （K. caspica） tapes water and C4 species （A. tatarica） reduces water loss to survive in the arid and saline conditions. The results provided a case for the phenotype theory of Schwinning and Ehleringer on halophytic plants.

Effects of Different Tillage Systems on Soil Properties,Root Growth,Grain Yield,and Water Use Efficiency of Winter Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in Arid Northwest China

Studies on root development, soil physical properties, grain yield, and water-use efficiency are important for identifying suitable soil management practices for sustainable crop production. A field experiment was conducted from 2006 through 2008 in arid northwestern China to determine the effects of four tillage systems on soil properties, root development, water-use efficiency, and grain yield of winter wheat （Triticum aestivum L.）. The cultivar Fan 13 was grown under four tillage systems：conventional tillage （CT） without wheat stubble, no-tillage without wheat stubble mulching （NT）, no-tillage with wheat stubble standing （NTSS）, and no-tillage with wheat stubble mulching （NTS）. The soil bulk density （BD） under CT system increased gradually from sowing to harvest, but that in NT, NTSS, and NTS systems had little change. Compared to the CT system, the NTSS and NTS systems improved total soil water storage （0-150 cm） by 6.1-9.6 and 10.5- 15.3% before sowing, and by 2.2-8.9 and 13.0-15.1% after harvest, respectively. The NTSS and NTS systems also increased mean dry root weight density （DRWD） as compared to CT system. The NTS system significantly improved water-use efficiency by 17.2-17.5% and crop yield by 15.6-16.8%, and the NTSS system improved that by 7.8-9.6 and 7.0-12.8%, respectively, compared with the CT system. Our results suggested that Chinese farmers should consider adopting conservation tillage practices in arid northwestern China because of benefits to soil bulk density, water storage, root system, and winter wheat yield.

Effect of Synthetic Hormone Substitutes on Rooting of Vine Cuttings in Water Yam (Dioscorea alata L.)

The use of yam vine cuttings as propagules with appropriate synthetic rooting hormones such as IBA (Indole-Butyric Acid) and NAA (Naphthalene Acetic Acid) has previously been reported as successful but expensive. To source for cheaper alternatives, this study compared the effect of some natural and synthetic hormones on rooting of vine cuttings in two varieties of Dioscorea alata. Vine cuttings from three months old water yam varieties were treated separately with 1%, 3% and 5% concentrations of each of the following: neem leaf ash, coconut water, 2,4-D and IBA with water as control. Treated cuttings were planted in triplicates in polythene bags using the completely randomised design and watered once in two days for 49 days. Data collected on rooting percentage, number of roots per plant, mean root length, number and length of new vines were subjected to analysis of variance tests and the means separated using least significant difference tests. A 100% rooting was observed in vines treated with 1% or 3% coconut water and neem ash. These vines also generated significantly greater number of new vines (P < 0.05) compared to those from synthetic hormones. Vines treated with 5% neem produced the highest number of roots (145.33 ± 9.21;P < 0.001) while those treated with 3% neem produced the longest roots (45.3 ± 9.23 cm) followed by those treated with 3% coconut water (24.3 ± 3.48). The study reveals that neem leaf ash and coconut water are better root promoting agents for water yam vines than 2,4-D and IBA and could be tested further for use as natural hormonal substitutes to the synthetic hormones.