ABSTRACT
Summary The effect of soil compaction and nematode infestation on large- and small-rooted fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) genotypes was evaluated. A factorial 2x2x2 randomized-block experiment was conducted in a soil with a tillage pan and a nematode infestation. The large- and small-rooted tall fescue genotypes were planted in two soil treatments in 4 combinations:
122conventional tillage (plow [20-cm depth]-disk) without fumigation; conventional tillage with methyl bromide fumigation; deep tillage (subsoil [38-cm depth]-disk) without fumigation; and deep tillage with methyl bromide fumigation. The genotypes exhibited no differences in water loss (leaf diffusive resistance) or soil water extraction ability. On a tillage pan, the large-rooted genotype had superior root penetration, forage yield, persistence, and sward cover. Nematodes preferred the large-rooted to the small-rooted genotype. These data indicate that forage yields of tall fescue can be increased by breeding for specific root-system characteristics.
