Crop Roots and Water Availability in US Corn Belt Soils
In the first part of my presentation, I will present experimental results on crop roots from a variety of soils. The data will include a) speed of root growth, b) maximum depth, c) factors affecting root growth, d) root mass and its distribution and how root mass is related to crop yields. In the second part, I will use a well calibrated simulation model (APSIM) and measured soil moisture data to shed light into complex questions regarding a) water availability in soils with and without the influence of shallow water table, b) water uptake by soil layer and c) the relationship between evapotranspiration and yield.
Speaker
Sotirios Archontoulis
Sotirios Archontoulis is a professor of integrated cropping systems at the Department of Agronomy, Iowa State University. His research aims to predict impacts (e.g. climate change), explain causes (e.g. high/low yields), and design future strategies to improve crop productivity and environmental sustainability. His approach combines field experimentation with process-based simulation models to understand Genotype x Environment x Management interactions and enable prediction at scale.