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  • Gao_et_al

    Rights statement: This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Gao, W., Hodgkinson, L., Jin, K., Watts, C. W., Ashton, R. W., Shen, J., Ren, T., Dodd, I. C., Binley, A., Phillips, A. L., Hedden, P., Hawkesford, M. J., and Whalley, W. R. (2016) Deep roots and soil structure. Plant, Cell & Environment, doi: 10.1111/pce.12684. which has been published in final form at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/pce.12684/abstract This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance With Wiley Terms and Conditions for self-archiving.

    Accepted author manuscript, 651 KB, PDF document

    Available under license: CC BY: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

  • Gao_et_al-Plant,_Cell_&_Environment

    Final published version, 659 KB, PDF document

    Available under license: CC BY: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

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Deep roots and soil structure

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<mark>Journal publication date</mark>08/2016
<mark>Journal</mark>Plant, Cell and Environment
Issue number8
Volume39
Number of pages7
Pages (from-to)1662-1668
Publication StatusPublished
Early online date5/02/16
<mark>Original language</mark>English

Abstract

In this opinion article we examine the relationship between penetrometer resistance and soil depth in the field. Assuming that root growth is inhibited at penetrometer resistances > 2.5 MPa, we conclude that in most circumstances the increases in penetrometer resistance with depth are sufficiently great to confine most deep roots to elongating in existing structural pores. We suggest that deep rooting is more likely related to the interaction between root architecture and soil structure than it is to the ability of a root to deform strong soil. Although the ability of roots to deform strong soil is an important trait, we propose it is more closely related to root exploration of surface layers than deep rooting.