Title in English: Rooting density of three grass species and eight Lolium perenne varieties

Abstract / summary in English:

Grassland with deeper and denser rooting can take up more nutrients and water, which increases productivity and reduces nutrient losses. The choice of specific grass species and/or varieties could be an effective management tool to enhance rooting depth and density. This hypothesis was tested in two field experiments on sandy soil. In experiment I, the root mass, root length and root diameter of Lolium perenne (Lp), Festuca arundinacea (Fa) and Dactylis glomerata (Dg) were compared. In experiment II, the same was measured in eight selected varieties of Lp, contrasting in terms of ploidy (diploid, tetraploid), production level (high, low) and earliness of production (early, late). In experiment I the results showed that the root biomass of Fa in the deeper soil layers (16-24 cm and 24-32 cm) was significantly higher compared to Lp or Dg. In experiment II, the root length density of the eight varieties varied between 14.5 to 27.9 cm cm-3. Diploid varieties had a higher root mass, higher root length and lower mean root diameter than tetraploid varieties. It can be concluded that using Festuca arundinacea and/or diploid Lolium perenne varieties in grass mixtures can increase rooting depth and density.