The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1907-03-14
Study of the Root System
of Field Crops

The root systems of our cultivated
plants bear a most important relation
to the cultivation of the crops, the ap-
ure content of the SOIL and in order to
understand fully the reasons for the
different cultural practices it is really
necessary to know to what extent and
IL what way the roots of the various
crops develop. That the development
of the root systems of our common
cereal and forage crops is not so we'll
understood as might be supposed is
demonstrated by the fact that samples
of plants prepared with a view to
showing the lateral as we'll as the
downward extension of the entire root
system in its natural position always
arouse great interest in observers OF
all classes, and even cause surprise
to persons who have spent their whole
lives upon the farm, and in many
cases growing these very crops year
after year.
At the Wisconsin station the corn,
AZ days after planting, when the tops
were about IS inches high, sent it's
roots about Is inches deep and the
roots from two hills, three and one.
half feet apart met and passed each
other. The surface roots sloped gently
downward toward the center of the
row, where they were about eight
inches below the surface. At the time
of the last cultivation, when the corn
was nearly three feet high, the roots
were found to occupy the entire soil
down to a depth of about two feet,
and the surface laterals descended in
a gentle curve toward the center of
the row and passed one another at
depth of only six inches. A third
sample taken when the corn was COM
ing into full tassel showed that the
roots had fully occupied the upper
three feet of soil in the entire field
and that the surface laterals at this
time had risen still higher, a few Of
them being scarcely five inches be-
meath the surface. At maturity the
roots extended fully four feet into the
soil and the upper laterals were with
in four inches of the top of the
ground.
Wheat roots examined 10 days
after sowing the seed at the North
Dakota station were found to extend
directly downward, sending out numer-
Gus small feeders which practically
occupied the soil to depth of about
four feet. In later experiments the
roots of durum and bread wheat
reached depth of more than four
feet, and again showed that the syS-
tenn of roofing is vertical instead OF
lateral as in corn. The root develop
ment was greater in the durum thar
in the bread wheat samples. 1t was
also observed that the root develop.
ment in cereals varied considerably
during different years. The root sys-
tenn of oats was found to be similar
to that of wheat, but the roots were
longer and more numerous and ex-
tended fully as deep into the ground.
The roots of emmer resembled those
of wheat and extended to about the
same depth. A sample of winter rye
taken July Z showed that the roots
had reached depth of only three
feet, and that their development was
smaller than in other samples of cere.
ais generally.
This study gives a clearer idea of
the proper methods of preparing and
cultivating the soil for the different
field crops. In general, root systems
of crops like corn, potatoes, beets.
beans, ETC., reach from row to row
ond naar tho surface and hence shOuJS
be given shallow cultivation. The
roots of cereals, grasses, clovers and
alfalfa grow more directly downward
and reach deeper soil than the cult.
vated crops.