Abstract
Abstract Alfalfa was grown on Superstition loamy fine sand on the Yuma Mesa for the 4‐year period, 1949–52, to evaluate the effects of moisture and phosphate variables on hay production and associated factors. The three moisture treatments were based on tension levels, tensiometers being installed at 9 depths from 6 to 120 inches. A total of about 125,000 tensiometer readings were recorded during the 4 years. Ten phosphate (superphosphate) rates and/or frequencies varying from 100 to 1,300 pounds P 2 O 5 for the 4‐year period were employed as subplots in the split plot design. Average annual hay yields for the 4‐year period varied from 6.4 to 12.3 tons per acre, being greatly affected by either moisture or P level. Small frequent irrigations and an initial fertilizer application of more than 200 pounds P 2 O 5 plus 100 pounds P 2 O 5 annually appeared to be the goals to approach. Phosphorus movement was largely limited to the surface 18 inches, which was less than expected. As measured by tensiometers the depth for the greatest relative activity of roots decreased with decreasing moisture tension, increased with decreasing supplemental phosphate, and increased with increasing temperatures. Soil sampling during a 32‐month period revealed that for “dry”, “medium”, and “wet” treatments respectively, 80, 74, and 27% of the available moisture and 72, 82, and 85% of the total water utilized by the plant was removed from the surface 48 inches of soil. During a 3‐year period the mean water use per day varied from 0.21 to 0.25 inch, the greatest amount being used in the “wet” or low‐tension treatment. Water used per ton of hay produced varied from 7.1 to 16.5 inches, high rates of moisture and phosphate giving greatest efficiency. The alfalfa stand thinned rapidly, correlation analysis indicating a reduced stand was an important cause for declining yields. Root grading analyses at the termination of the experiment demonstrated that moisture and phosphate levels had no effect upon root shape and nematode infection. Moisture and/or phosphorus had significant effects on crown and root weight, root diameter, amount and distribution of feeder roots, and crown‐ and root‐rot. A barley crop was grown following the alfalfa to measure residual productivity levels due to previous moisture and phosphate variables. The only significant difference was caused by moisture, the “dry” treatment resulting in the greatest grain yields.
Abstract from the paper’s OpenAlex record, shown for indexing and research. Copyright remains with the authors or the publisher. Read at the source ↗
The text the model read, with the source record’s inline markup (italics, sub- and superscripts) rendered and its character entities decoded; quote offsets refer to the raw text.
Claims 20
Claim · model-written summary
Alfalfa hay yields varied from 6.4 to 12.3 tons per acre over four years and were greatly affected by moisture or phosphorus level.
- Taxon
- Alfalfa
Medicago sativae1 - Treatment
- moisture or P levele2
- Outcome
- hay yieldse2
- Value
- 6.4 to 12.3 tons per acree2
- Setting
- Yuma Mesae1
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e1“Alfalfa was grown on Superstition loamy fine sand on the Yuma Mesa”
e2“Average annual hay yields for the 4‐year period varied from 6.4 to 12.3 tons per acre, being greatly affected by either moisture or P level”
Claim · model-written summary
Small frequent irrigations and an initial fertilizer application above 200 pounds P 2 O 5 plus 100 pounds P 2 O 5 annually appear to be the goals to approach for alfalfa hay production.
- Taxon
- Alfalfa
Medicago sativae1 - Treatment
- Small frequent irrigationse3
- Outcome
- the goals to approache3
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e1“Alfalfa was grown on Superstition loamy fine sand on the Yuma Mesa”
e3“Small frequent irrigations and an initial fertilizer application of more than 200 pounds P 2 O 5 plus 100 pounds P 2 O 5 annually appeared to be the goals to approach”
Claim · model-written summary
Phosphorus movement in the soil was largely limited to the surface 18 inches, less than expected.
- Taxon
- Alfalfa
Medicago sativae1 - Outcome
- Phosphorus movemente4
- Value
- 18 inchese4
- Qualifier
- less than expectede4
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e1“Alfalfa was grown on Superstition loamy fine sand on the Yuma Mesa”
e4“Phosphorus movement was largely limited to the surface 18 inches, which was less than expected”
Claim · model-written summary
Depth of greatest relative root activity decreased with decreasing moisture tension, as measured by tensiometers.
- Taxon
- Alfalfa
Medicago sativae1 - Organ / stage
- rootse5
- Treatment
- decreasing moisture tensione5
- Outcome
- depth for the greatest relative activity of rootse5
- Direction
- decreasede5
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e1“Alfalfa was grown on Superstition loamy fine sand on the Yuma Mesa”
e5“As measured by tensiometers the depth for the greatest relative activity of roots decreased with decreasing moisture tension, increased with decreasing supplemental phosphate, and increased with increasing temperatures”
Claim · model-written summary
Depth of greatest relative root activity increased with decreasing supplemental phosphate, as measured by tensiometers.
- Taxon
- Alfalfa
Medicago sativae1 - Organ / stage
- rootse5
- Treatment
- decreasing supplemental phosphatee5
- Outcome
- depth for the greatest relative activity of rootse5
- Direction
- increasede5
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e1“Alfalfa was grown on Superstition loamy fine sand on the Yuma Mesa”
e5“As measured by tensiometers the depth for the greatest relative activity of roots decreased with decreasing moisture tension, increased with decreasing supplemental phosphate, and increased with increasing temperatures”
Claim · model-written summary
Depth of greatest relative root activity increased with increasing temperatures, as measured by tensiometers.
- Taxon
- Alfalfa
Medicago sativae1 - Organ / stage
- rootse5
- Treatment
- increasing temperaturese5
- Outcome
- depth for the greatest relative activity of rootse5
- Direction
- increasede5
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e1“Alfalfa was grown on Superstition loamy fine sand on the Yuma Mesa”
e5“As measured by tensiometers the depth for the greatest relative activity of roots decreased with decreasing moisture tension, increased with decreasing supplemental phosphate, and increased with increasing temperatures”
Claim · model-written summary
In the dry treatment, 80% of the available moisture was removed from the surface 48 inches of soil.
- Taxon
- Alfalfa
Medicago sativae1 - Treatment
- drye6
- Outcome
- available moisturee6
- Value
- 80e6
- Qualifier
- surface 48 inches of soile6
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e1“Alfalfa was grown on Superstition loamy fine sand on the Yuma Mesa”
e6“Soil sampling during a 32‐month period revealed that for “dry”, “medium”, and “wet” treatments respectively, 80, 74, and 27% of the available moisture and 72, 82, and 85% of the total water utilized by the plant was removed from the surface 48 inches of soil”
Claim · model-written summary
In the medium treatment, 74% of the available moisture was removed from the surface 48 inches of soil.
- Taxon
- Alfalfa
Medicago sativae1 - Treatment
- mediume6
- Outcome
- available moisturee6
- Value
- 74e6
- Qualifier
- surface 48 inches of soile6
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e1“Alfalfa was grown on Superstition loamy fine sand on the Yuma Mesa”
e6“Soil sampling during a 32‐month period revealed that for “dry”, “medium”, and “wet” treatments respectively, 80, 74, and 27% of the available moisture and 72, 82, and 85% of the total water utilized by the plant was removed from the surface 48 inches of soil”
Claim · model-written summary
In the wet treatment, 27% of the available moisture was removed from the surface 48 inches of soil.
- Taxon
- Alfalfa
Medicago sativae1 - Treatment
- wete6
- Outcome
- available moisturee6
- Value
- 27e6
- Qualifier
- surface 48 inches of soile6
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e1“Alfalfa was grown on Superstition loamy fine sand on the Yuma Mesa”
e6“Soil sampling during a 32‐month period revealed that for “dry”, “medium”, and “wet” treatments respectively, 80, 74, and 27% of the available moisture and 72, 82, and 85% of the total water utilized by the plant was removed from the surface 48 inches of soil”
Claim · model-written summary
In the dry treatment, 72% of the total water utilized by the plant was removed from the surface 48 inches of soil.
- Taxon
- Alfalfa
Medicago sativae1 - Treatment
- drye6
- Outcome
- total water utilized by the plante6
- Value
- 72e6
- Qualifier
- surface 48 inches of soile6
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e1“Alfalfa was grown on Superstition loamy fine sand on the Yuma Mesa”
e6“Soil sampling during a 32‐month period revealed that for “dry”, “medium”, and “wet” treatments respectively, 80, 74, and 27% of the available moisture and 72, 82, and 85% of the total water utilized by the plant was removed from the surface 48 inches of soil”
Claim · model-written summary
In the medium treatment, 82% of the total water utilized by the plant was removed from the surface 48 inches of soil.
- Taxon
- Alfalfa
Medicago sativae1 - Treatment
- mediume6
- Outcome
- total water utilized by the plante6
- Value
- 82e6
- Qualifier
- surface 48 inches of soile6
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e1“Alfalfa was grown on Superstition loamy fine sand on the Yuma Mesa”
e6“Soil sampling during a 32‐month period revealed that for “dry”, “medium”, and “wet” treatments respectively, 80, 74, and 27% of the available moisture and 72, 82, and 85% of the total water utilized by the plant was removed from the surface 48 inches of soil”
Claim · model-written summary
In the wet treatment, 85% of the total water utilized by the plant was removed from the surface 48 inches of soil.
- Taxon
- Alfalfa
Medicago sativae1 - Treatment
- wete6
- Outcome
- total water utilized by the plante6
- Value
- 85e6
- Qualifier
- surface 48 inches of soile6
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e1“Alfalfa was grown on Superstition loamy fine sand on the Yuma Mesa”
e6“Soil sampling during a 32‐month period revealed that for “dry”, “medium”, and “wet” treatments respectively, 80, 74, and 27% of the available moisture and 72, 82, and 85% of the total water utilized by the plant was removed from the surface 48 inches of soil”
Claim · model-written summary
Mean daily water use during the three-year period varied from 0.21 to 0.25 inch.
- Taxon
- Alfalfa
Medicago sativae1 - Outcome
- the mean water use per daye7
- Value
- 0.21 to 0.25 inche7
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e1“Alfalfa was grown on Superstition loamy fine sand on the Yuma Mesa”
e7“During a 3‐year period the mean water use per day varied from 0.21 to 0.25 inch, the greatest amount being used in the “wet” or low‐tension treatment”
Claim · model-written summary
Mean daily water use was greatest in the wet (low-tension) treatment.
- Taxon
- Alfalfa
Medicago sativae1 - Treatment
- wete7
- Outcome
- water usee7
- Direction
- greateste7
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e1“Alfalfa was grown on Superstition loamy fine sand on the Yuma Mesa”
e7“During a 3‐year period the mean water use per day varied from 0.21 to 0.25 inch, the greatest amount being used in the “wet” or low‐tension treatment”
Claim · model-written summary
Water used per ton of hay produced varied from 7.1 to 16.5 inches.
- Taxon
- Alfalfa
Medicago sativae1 - Outcome
- Water used per ton of hay producede2
- Value
- 7.1 to 16.5 inchese2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e1“Alfalfa was grown on Superstition loamy fine sand on the Yuma Mesa”
e2“Water used per ton of hay produced varied from 7.1 to 16.5 inches, high rates of moisture and phosphate giving greatest efficiency”
Claim · model-written summary
High rates of moisture and phosphate gave the greatest water-use efficiency.
- Taxon
- Alfalfa
Medicago sativae1 - Treatment
- high rates of moisture and phosphatee2
- Outcome
- efficiencye2
- Direction
- greateste2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e1“Alfalfa was grown on Superstition loamy fine sand on the Yuma Mesa”
e2“Water used per ton of hay produced varied from 7.1 to 16.5 inches, high rates of moisture and phosphate giving greatest efficiency”
Claim · model-written summary
Correlation analysis associated a reduced alfalfa stand with declining yields; the stand thinned rapidly.
- Taxon
- alfalfa
Medicago sativae2 - Treatment
- reduced stande2
- Outcome
- declining yieldse2
- Direction
- declininge2
- Qualifier
- stand thinned rapidlye2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e2“The alfalfa stand thinned rapidly, correlation analysis indicating a reduced stand was an important cause for declining yields”
Claim · model-written summary
Moisture and phosphate levels had no effect on alfalfa root shape or nematode infection.
- Taxon
- Alfalfa
Medicago sativae1 - Treatment
- moisture and phosphate levelse2
- Outcome
- root shape and nematode infectione2
- Direction
- no effecte2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e1“Alfalfa was grown on Superstition loamy fine sand on the Yuma Mesa”
e2“Root grading analyses at the termination of the experiment demonstrated that moisture and phosphate levels had no effect upon root shape and nematode infection”
Claim · model-written summary
Moisture and/or phosphorus had significant effects on crown and root weight, root diameter, feeder root amount and distribution, and crown- and root-rot.
- Taxon
- Alfalfa
Medicago sativae1 - Treatment
- Moisture and/or phosphoruse2
- Outcome
- crown and root weight, root diameter, amount and distribution of feeder roots, and crown‐ and root‐rote2
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e1“Alfalfa was grown on Superstition loamy fine sand on the Yuma Mesa”
e2“Moisture and/or phosphorus had significant effects on crown and root weight, root diameter, amount and distribution of feeder roots, and crown‐ and root‐rot”
Claim · model-written summary
Moisture had the only significant effect on the following barley crop, with the dry treatment giving the greatest grain yields.
- Taxon
- barley
Hordeum vulgaree1 - Treatment
- moisturee1
- Outcome
- grain yieldse1
- Direction
- greateste1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
e1“A barley crop was grown following the alfalfa to measure residual productivity levels due to previous moisture and phosphate variables. The only significant difference was caused by moisture, the “dry” treatment resulting in the greatest grain yields”