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Corn and Cotton Root Growth in Response to Soil Impedance and Water Potential¹

ABSTRACT

The equation dL/dt = C · L, which relates root elongation rate (dL/dt) to root length capable of growth (L), was tested on split root systems of corn and cotton under controlled laboratory conditions. Evidence is presented for the validity of the equation for the various parts of the root system when the growth period was up to 50 days. While the equation held, C, the specific root growth rate, was affected by soil impedance and water potential (), varying between 0.02 and 0.15 per day for the cotton and between 0.03 and 0.28 per day for corn. When the various parts of the root system were under the same soil density (d) and different , C varied with according to a bell-shaped relationship. When d was different, C decreased monotonically with increasing d values.

The flux of water uptake by cotton and corn had a peak at a matric potential between –0.13 and –0.20 bar and was about 0.02 and 0.03 ml cm^–1 root day^–1, respectively.

¹ Contribution no. 1497 from the S.C. Agric. Exp. Stn. Published by permission of the Director.

² Soil Scientist, ARO, Bet Dagan, Israel; and Professor of Agric. Engineering, Clemson Univ., Clemson, S.C.

Received for publication August 14, 1978. Accepted for publication April 23, 1981.