This paper discusses the factors determining nutrient transport in, and losses from, soil solutions (in uniform and heterogeneous soil conditions), and investigates ways to describe how plants compete for nutrients or act as safety nets (in the form of cation and anion retardation mechanisms), with examples from recent research. The scope of WANULCAS (water, nutrient, light capture in agroforestry systems) model which describes the flow of water through macropores that bypasses the soil solution contained in the soil matrix, is given. Sensitivity analysis of the impact of macroporosity on hedgerow intercropping systems in Lampung, Indonesia is provided. In addition, the below-ground competition in HYPAR which models the growth of trees and crops in agroforestry systems is discussed.
Publication year
2004
Authors
Cadisch G; de Willigen P; Suprayogo D; Mobbs D C; Rowe E C; van Noordwijk, M.
Language
English
Keywords
nutrient uptake, plant competition, plant nutrition, root systems, soil solution, agroecosystems
Geographic
Indonesia
