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Comparative study on the effects of meltwater and various other water sources on plant growth
Shiwen Wang1, Fan Zhang2, Lijuan Zhang1
1Heilongjiang Province Key Laboratory of Geographical Environment Monitoring and Spatial Information Service in Cold Regions, Harbin Normal University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China.
Introduction:
Snowmelt water as recharge water has a significant effect on plant growth, but quantitative evidence to support this issue is lacking. We selected four control water sources, including rainwater, groundwater, river water, and tap water, and comparatively analyzed the quantitative effects of snowmelt water on typical plants by setting up replicated experiments.We also explored the mechanisms of snowmelt water effects on plant growth.
Methods:
Four plant species-Cosmos bipinnatus, Lactuca sativa L., Solanum lycopersicum L. and Poa pratensis L. were selected for a controlled experiment in which they were irrigated throughout their entire growth cycle using meltwater and four other water sources (rainwater, groundwater, river water and tap water). The results were analysed comparatively to provide scientific evidence of the quantitative beneficial effects of meltwater on plant growth.
Results:
(1) Under controlled conditions, meltwater significantly promoted the growth of all tested plant species, as evidenced by increases in plant height, root length, stem diameter and fresh weight. (2) Snowmelt water promoted plant growth about 46.58% more than plants irrigated with rainfall, groundwater, Songhua River water, and tap water. The most significant effect on the length of the plant root system could be increased by approximately 2.37 times compared with rainfall and approximately 4.11 times compared with tap water. The boosting effect of snowmelt water on plants was most pronounced during their growth spurt. (3) Mechanistic analysis showed that the mechanism by which snowmelt water significantly promoted plant growth was primarily because of a significant reduction in the content of toxicological indicators in snowmelt water.
Discussion:
These findings quantify the role of meltwater in promoting plant growth. They confirm the differences in the effects of meltwater and other water sources on plant growth, and the conclusions support efforts to improve the utilisation of meltwater resources. However, the underlying mechanisms by which meltwater influences plant growth require further elucidation and investigation.
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