Twenty-Years of Hop Irrigation by Flooding the Inter-Row Did Not Cause a Gradient along the Row in Soil Properties, Plant Elemental Composition and Dry Matter Yield

In hops (Humulus lupulus L.), irrigation by flooding the inter-row can carry away suspended particles and minerals, causing gradients in soil fertility. The effect of more than 20 years on plants was evaluated two hop fields measuring plant variables multiple points along rows. a second experiment 1000 kg ha−1 lime applied incorporated into to assess whether liming could moderate any gradient created irrigation. At different sampling rows, significant differences were recorded properties, elemental composition dry matter yield, but this not found exist over continuous gradient. variations cone yield 50% when compared. However, difference cannot be attributed irrigation, rather an erratic spatial variation some constituents, such as sand, silt clay. Flooding frequent tillage resulted lower porosity higher bulk density 0.0–0.10 m layer comparison 0.10–0.20 layer. turn, respectively positively negatively associated with crop productivity. Thus, may have damaged condition did create row. ridge appeared provide important pool nutrients, probably caused mass flow due evaporation from it regular supply water inter-row. Liming raised pH slightly, had relevant neither nor plants, perhaps because small amounts applied.