Water Uptake of Corn Roots as Influenced by Soil Moisture Content and Soil Moisture Tension

Abstract

Abstract Experiments conducted on prepared mixtures of a sand and clay soil indicate that the uptake of water by corn roots is a function of the specific moisture content as well as the moisture tension. The data show that uptake of water and elongation of corn roots are decreased as the moisture tension increases and that the uptake of water and root elongation decreases as the moisture content per unit tension decreases. Calculations made upon the distance from the root surface from which roots extract water indicate that some dynamic factor may be operative in controlling water uptake by plant roots.