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Wheel-Induced Soil Physical Limitations to Root Growth

  • Chapter
Limitations to Plant Root Growth

Part of the book series: Advances in Soil Science ((SOIL,volume 19))

Abstract

Several aspects of the soil environment interact to affect root growth. Under field conditions, these factors are often very dynamic and seldom can it be determined, with a high degree of certainty, which factor was dominant. Eavis (1972) schematically diagrammed these interactions quite effectively. Mechanical impedance, or physical resistance to root elongation and function, is often cited as a limiting factor in crop growth and yield (Taylor, 1971). At the same time, it is recognized that the limiting factor is not physical resistance per se but is rather the restricted uptake of water and/or nutrients or inadequate gaseous exchange. Readers are referred to recent reviews such as Brown and Scott (1984), Hamblin (1985), and McCoy (1987) for detailed discussions on the soil physical effects on root growth.

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Authors
  1. Ward B. Voorhees
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. National Soil Tilth Laboratory, USDA Agricultural Research Service, 50011, Ames, IA, USA

    J. L. Hatfield

  2. USDA Conservation and Production Research Laboratory, 79012, Bushland, TX, USA

    B. A. Stewart

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© 1992 Springer-Verlag New York Inc.

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Voorhees, W.B. (1992). Wheel-Induced Soil Physical Limitations to Root Growth. In: Hatfield, J.L., Stewart, B.A. (eds) Limitations to Plant Root Growth. Advances in Soil Science, vol 19. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-2894-3_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-2894-3_4

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4612-7711-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4612-2894-3

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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