This document discusses root growth and interaction with crop residues. It contains 3 main points: 1) It examines root growth cycles, absorption, and ecology as well as how organic matter from roots and plant residues can increase nutrient availability, reduce erosion and disease, and improve soil carbon levels. 2) It describes several experiments on root growth patterns in response to different crop residues and organic amendments, finding both positive and negative allelopathic effects on root development. 3) It discusses the potential for using organic wastes and amendments to support root growth and mitigate replant problems in apple orchards. Sustainable soil management techniques are highlighted.

1. MARCHE POLYTECHNICS UNIVERSITY
Specific Objectives
Ancona, Italy
Department of Agricultural, Food and
Environmental Science
• To understand root growth
– Root cycle (lifetime, renovation, death, new formation)
University Spin-off – Root absorption
– Root ecology
• Sustainability through organic matter (root and plant
residues)
– To increase nutrient availability
Root growth and interaction – To reduce leakage and soil erosion
with crop residues – To reduce disease sensibility (suppressiveness)
– To improve humus formation (carbon cycle)
Davide Neri, PhD
1 2
Bolzano, 16 November 2012
Roots
Root growth and absorption
use up to 40% of total
photosynthesis
(Zucconi 1996)
1 – root skeleton 4 – sustain root micromigration
2 – transport and sustain 5 – absorbtion (micromigration)
Root apex 3 – macro migration 6 - mycorrhizae
3 4
Root function
PEACH
Allelopathy
Assimilation
Allelopathy
Absorption
Synthesis
Transport
Root
Support
type If the roots
of adult trees are
maintained in
monospecific
orchards there is
Transmigrant a toxic reaction
Absorbent
Support
Skeleton
(Zucconi 1996)
(Baldini 1986
5 6
Zucconi 1996)

2. Fefa farm, Desert Road, Cairo Egypt
OLIVE
cavity
(Zucconi 1996)
7
Compost in trenches in two sides 8
Roots
Empty niche
with nutrients
ZUCCONI-BRUNZINI-96SL053
ROOT PLASTICITY
9 10
(Zucconi 1996)
Olea europaea: pomace fitotoxicity Giorgi, Neri, Lodolini, Savini 2008 Giorgi, Neri, Lodolini, Savini 2008
S* C
pomace
control
pomace
S C*
Allelopathic sensitivity
11 12

3. Olea europaea: pomace fitotoxicity Giorgi, Neri, Lodolini, Savini 2008
Olea europaea: pomace fitotoxicity Giorgi, Neri, Lodolini, Savini 2008
Two factors
experiment
Two factors
experiment
whole pot (1) whole pot (1) • Substrate
compost
• Substrate pomace (olive husk)
compost hay
pomace (olive husk) hay plus pomace
hay
hay plus pomace • Location:
whole pot (1)
• Location: half pot (0.5)
whole pot (1)
half pot (0.5)
(8 replicates)
13
•half pot (0.5) 14
(8 replicates)
Olea europaea: pomace fitotoxicity Giorgi, Neri, Lodolini, Savini 2008 To observe root
Glass windows
0.8 Whole pot 1
(3 mm)
interaction with
controllo Cider wood (2 cm)
0.6
S1
F1
organic residues
SF 1
0.4
Shoot growth
rate
RGR
0.2
compost
15 cm
0.0
Half pot 0,5 0, 3, 10, 30, 100 %
-0.2 0.8
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160
controllo
oven dried residues 3 cm
giorni dopo trapianto 0.7 S 0.5 strawberry plants
F 0.5
0.6 SF 0.5 (ground to 1mm)
0.5
compost
0.4 10 cm
RGR
RGR = relative growth rate
0.3
0.2
RGR = (L2 – L1) / L1 2 cm
0.1
Five boxes per 20 cm
0.0
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140
treatment
15 16
giorni dopo trapianto (Neri, Sugiyama, Inujima, 2002)
epidermis cortex endodermis pericycle protoxylem metaxylem phloem
Lateral root formation 24 hours after root tip cut. Neri et al. 2011
17 18
(Neri, Sugiyama, Inujima, 2002)

4. Neri et al. 2011
48 hours 19 20
(Neri, Sugiyama, Inujima, 2002)
21 22
(Neri, Sugiyama, Inujima, 2002) (Neri, Sugiyama, Inujima, 2002)
Savini, Neri 2004
Trial 1 Four replications Materials and Methods
Treatment
1 – control
2 – strawberry residues 2%
3 – strawberry residues 4% strawberry eluates
4 – strawberry residues 2% + eluates 2% dry matter, aerobic
5 – strawberry eluates
Toxicity
Trial 2 Four replications evaluation,
bioassay
Treatment
1 – control
2 – strawberry residues 30% Bench rhizotrons
3 – strawberry eluates
4 – broad bean and barley residues 30%
1.2 litres Toxic layer
5 – broad bean and barley residues 30% + strawberry eluates 20°leaning 24
Savini, Neri 2004

5. 30-09-02
02-10-02
09-10-02
14-10-02
Layer with soluble eluates from strawberry residues
2 cm
Absorbing zone
Expanding zone
Side view 25 26
Savini, Neri 2004
28-10-02
16-10-02
21-10-02
Absorbing zone - micromigration
Expanding zone - macromigration
Exhausted zone 27 28
Savini, Neri 2004 Savini, Neri 2004
04-11-02 16 days after transplanting
Trial 1
Allelopathic
Inhibited
Zone
29
Savini, Neri 2004
control Strawberry eluates 30

6. Broad bean and Broad beans
barley (c) and barley,
strawberry Neri, Mascanzoni,, Sabbatini, Zucconi, Flore, 2006
eluates (d)
31 32
16 days after transplanting Apple M9 at the end of the 2°year
Apple M9
at the end of the 2°year without residues 33
Apple residues <1mm at the end of the 2°year 34
35 36
M9 at the end of the 2°year with apple residues in the t op layer M9 at the end of the 2°year with apple residues in the t op layer

7. Without residues with residues
M9 at the end of the 2°year with apple residues in the b ottom
37 M106 at the end of the 2°year 38
39 40
M9 at the end of the 2°year with peach residues M9 at the end of the 2°year with peach residues
1°year 1°year
M9 M106 M9 M106
41 42
Apple rootstocks without residues Apple rootstocks with apple residues

8. Environmental mitigation of organic waste
Organic alternatives to soil disinfection in apple replant (CRESO 2012)
NOT TREATED CONTROL
GREEN COMPOST
GREEN COMPOST
Bovine mannure
Davide Neri, January 2012 43 44
(Mascanzoni, Zucconi, Neri 1996)
Organic alternatives to soil disinfection in apple replant (CRESO 2012) Organic alternatives to soil disinfection in apple replant (CRESO 2012)
Treatment microbic C (mg/kg
FRUIT PRODUCTION PER TREE AT THE SECOND YEAR
10
d.m.)
** **
GREEN COMPOST 688,3 (±58,0)
GREEN COMPOST
8
DAZOMET
6
KG / TREE
kg/pianta
4 8,38 8,27 DAZOMET 386,1 (±52,0)
6,82 6,59
5,47 5,38
4,74
2 3,96
NOT TREATED 347,1 (±19,1)
0
Radici
micorrizate e
Trichoderma
spp.
Amm. Amm. Calciocianamide Dazomet + Fertirrigazione Testimone
compostato compostato fertirrigazione
CONTROL
funghi verde misto
45 46
Organic alternatives to soil disinfection in apple replant (CRESO 2012)
HEALTHY TREES AT THE SECOND YEAR (%)
HEALTHY DEAD
Sana Sintomi iniziali Inzio avvizzimento Deperiente
100%
90%
GREEN COMPOST
80%
DAZOMET
70%
60%
100,0%
50%
++ 91,7%
40% 81,3% 78,1%
65,6% 68,8%
30% 62,5%
20% 31,3%
--
10%
0%
Radici Trichoderma Amm. Amm. Calciocianamide Dazomet + Fertirrigazione Testimone
micorrizate e spp. compostato compostato fertirrigazione
funghi verde misto
47 48

9. Study of the root
growth in apple
organic farming 10cm
20cm
A. Perilli, M. Kelderer, A.
Rainer, S. Polverigiani, F. 30cm
Massetani, D. Neri, 2012
40cm
Centro per la Sperimentazione
Agraria e Forestale
Laimburg, BZ - Italy Observation box
and
Università Politecnica delle Marche
Ancona, Italy
49 50
100 cm Methods
50 cm
Root trace
(ogni 15-30 gg)
32 cm
Observation point
Dati output
Tracciato delle radici
a video
coibentazione
Elaborazione
51 52
cm DigiRoot
60
Root growth along the season
Apple root diameter (mm)
Superficie
09-06-2010
25-02-2011
23-06-2010
31-05-2011
5 depth
10 cm bc c
20 cm
Mixed grass
Compost
30 cm
Festuca
Tillage
40 cm
53 54
50 cm

10. Apple root growth (mm / d m2) Azienda agraria didattico
sperimentale “P.Rosati”
Festuca
Compost
Tillage
Mixed grass
Cherry production in
organic farming in
Gallignano (Ancona)
55 56
Neri, Polverigiani, Massetani, Pica, 2011
Fig.3 Crescita radicale di melo nei quattro
Root observation points Under tree soil management
Clean soil Permanent grasses
rhizotron
7 rhizotrons
per trt
110 cm 110 cm
60 cm Poly specific permanent
57 soil cover vegetation
58
set: 13 May 2010 Hand weeding
Mineral nutrients
Root distribution along the
profile (% of the total roots)
Root entry
Niche abandon
Time
59 60
(Zucconi 1996)

11. Mineral nutrients increment
Mineral nutrients
Ciclic root entry
Niche abandon
Time
61 Davide Neri, January 2012 62
(Zucconi 1996)
GRAZIE PER L’ATTENZIONE
63