Utilization of the thermohydric stress in the psamosols area in Southern Oltenia through the cowpea culture

Research Development Station for Plant Culture on Sands Dabuleni, 207170, Călăraşi, Dolj, Romania

^* Corresponding author: retadraghici@yahoo.com

Abstract

The area of psamosols in southern Oltenia is characterized by thermohydraulic stress, accentuated by the thermal resources recorded and by the poor hydrophysical properties of the soil. Higher capitalization of these lands has been an important concern both in the world and in our country, and the choice of plant species with increased drought resistance and low water consumption is a measure to counteract the negative effects of the drought. The humidity analysis of a psamosol, on the 0-125 cm profile, indicates a momentary supply of reduced water and a water deficit compared to the field capacity of -34.4 ... -65.5 m³ / ha. In order to obtain economic results on these soils, it is necessary to cultivate low-water plants, such as a cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp) that consumes about 4160 m³ / ha, compared to soybeans that have almost double consumption. The results obtained in 4 genotypes of cowpea highlight the daily average values of the plant's foliar sweating, in the blooming phase, ranging between 4.05 -5.23 mmol H₂O / m² / s, which correlated negatively with the level of grain production.