biologia plantarum

Biologia plantarum 12:47-57, 1970 | DOI: 10.1007/BF02920878

Structure and conductivity of the corn root system

Mária Luxová¹, V. Kozinka¹

¹ Institute of Botany, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava

When comparing conductivity in 5 mm long segments from the basis of the primary seminal root with that in segments from adventitious roots of the first to fifth node it was revealed that the conductivity is not a general function of the transection area. The conductivity determined experimentally is minimal in the primary seminal root and gradually increases in the adventitious roots. However, when calculating per area unit, roots of the first coleoptile node appear the most efficient, with roots of the second and third node the values gradually decrease, and conductivity in roots of the fourth and fifth node approximately equals that of the primary seminal roots.
The conductivity is not a function of the conducting area. The conducting capacity of tissues which do not function directly as conductors is substantially lower; however, they cannot be neglected in evaluating the conductivity because of their high percentual occurence. The total conductivity in the individual root types is influenced by the ratio of the participation of water-conducting and non-conducting tissues.

Received: March 2, 1969; Published: January 1, 1970  Show citation