A TECHNIQUE FOR CONTROLLING SOIL WATER CONTENT IN THE VICINITY OF ROOT HAIRS AND ITS APPLICATION TO SOIL-WATER-PLANT STUDIES
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Date
1963
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UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES, BANGALORE
Abstract
A technique for controlling water content in the root hair zone of
growing plants has been developed and used to investigate (1) the relationship
between soil water tension and plant growth and (2) the nature of water
flow in the vicinity of root hairs . This technique could also be adapted to
study the extent of mobilization of various plant nutrients and herbicides
into the root hair zone and their subsequent uptake.
The technique involves growing plants on a fine screen placed over
soil in such a way that root hairs extend about 1.5 mm through the screen
into soil with both main roots and rootlets remaining above the screen. A
gamma-ray moisture detecting device is used to monitor the supply of water
in the root hair zone • . By paeans of either adjusting the length of a hanging
water column or controlling the rate of water supply. the rate of water flow
to the soil lamina beneath the screen can be so adjusted as just to offset
the loss due to evapotranspiration . Therefore. a predetermined soil water
level can be maintained to within ~1.5\ water content in the root hair zone a growing plant.
The expert~~~entail data show the dependence of plant growth upon Soil
-~•r tension. lbe &Roth of corn leaves vas first affected by water -tension
at 1 bar or less. Growth ceased at about 22-30 bars tension within the root
b£ir ~. lbe soil laaina just outside the root hair zone had only about
b&l.f ~he water ~end ion of t ha.t inside the zone.
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No. Of references 67