The oxygen requirement of crop roots and soils under near field conditions

Abstract

1. Agricultural crops can be grown to maturity with their root systems and associated soil sealed into 1680 1. respirometers. The crops appeared to grow normally and produced the expected agricultural yields. 2. The mean daily oxygen consumption at maturity of the roots of the following crops grown at normal agricultural spacings were: potatoes 2·8 l./m 2 , marrowstem kale 5·6 l./m 2 and tobacco 3·0 l./m 2 .