Soil strength modification of root development and soil water extraction

Abstract

The root development of cotton (tap root system) and corn (fibrous root system) in field studies was greatly restricted on a high-strength Hanford sandy loam, compared with that on a low-strength Panoche clay loam. The high strength of the Hanford soil prevented significant root development below two feet, with the result that as much as 80% of extraction of soil water was from the surface foot of soil only.