• In-situ measurement of the fixing capability of soil by Faber bristlegrass roots

      Mao, Yan-ting; Zheng, Yi; Li, Yongmei; Fullen, Michael A.; Booth, Colin A. (2009)
      In this experiment, applying the anchor-shank tensiometer and Shearing box designed by oneself had been carried on In-situ measurement to test the fixing capability of soil of the root system of bristlegrass in the depth of 10cm and 20cm. The results show:In 10cm depth, when increasing 4.9KN in load exerted, the displacement of the Faber bristlegrass sampled soil square is 53.3mm, whereas biggest loads of sampled soil square bears 4.4KN and the displacement reached 55.0mm under this load. In 20cm depth, when increasing 5.3KN in load exerted, the displacement of Faber bristlegrass sampled soil square is 53.7mm, however biggest loads of sampled soil square bears 4.0KN. The In-situ measurement would appraise different crops (plants) fixing capability of soil in water and soil conservation as an effective means.
    • Research on in-situ measurement of soil-fixation capability of corn roots

      Zheng, Chao-yuan; Fan, Mao-pan; Zheng, Yi; Fullen, Michael A.; Li, Yongmei; Subedi, Madhu (2010)
      Experiments in-situ measuring the stabilization capability of soil by corn roots (10 cm and 20 cm) and bare soil square with anchor-shank tension meter and self-designed shear box were conducted. The results indicated that when an equally load was applied, the displacement of bare soil was higher that that of corn square in two depths, the displacment was the lowest in 20 cm depth. The higher the root took in the soil square, the more load which made soil square separate from bulk soil was required. The bending point-F2 and plastic deformation point-F3 of soil square with corn in 10 cm were 2.7 kN and 2.9 kN, respectively; those of soil square in 20. cm were 3.6 kN and 3.61kN; those in bare soil square in 10 cm depth were 2.3 kN and 2.5 kN; those of bare soil square in 20 cm depth were 3.1 kN and 3.4 kN. It is proposed that that is an appropriate method in fix-quantify measure corn root soil-fixation capability in the agriculture soil and water conservation.
    • Researches on in-situ measurement of the soil fixing capability of rape roots

      Mao, Yan-ting; Zheng, Yi; Fullen, Michael A.; Li, Yongmei; Subedi, Madhu (Yunnan Agricultural University, 2008)
      Experiments of in-situ measuring the stabilization capability of soil by rape roots in 10 cm depth with the anchor-shank tensiometer and self-designed shear box were conducted. The results showed that when a 3.5 KN load was applied, the displacements of sample plot 1 (roots density = 1.11 kg/m3), sample plot 2 (roots density = 0.57 kg/m3) and control plot reached 38.0 mm, 46.0 mm and 49.7 mm, respectively. The higher the root density was in the sample plot, the more loads formation point-F3 of sample plot 1 were 3.5 kN and 4.0 kN, respectively; those of sample plot 2 were 3.1 kN and 3.5 kN. It is proposed that this is an appropriate method to evaluate the root function of different crops or plants in maintaining slope stability.