Root pressure is a vital parameter for all plants that exist in nature. This is due to the fact that they do not have juice circulation in the manner of blood movement in the veins of animal organisms. The pressure in the roots causes the sap to move in the "body" of the plant. In this article, we will look at what root pressure means, what is its role in plant life.
The role of pressure
The pressure value for undersized and shrub crops is different. In small plants, root pressure is a process that promotes life and development. They have it during the night and morning period of the day. Remarkable is the fact that for large plants it plays a slightly different role. For shrubs and trees, root pressure is a way to awaken winter buds and a catalyst for their development. According to scientists, this process is especially intense at night. Due to this, the root pressure in plants at night causes a fastergrowth. Visually, the result of pressure can be seen in some plants in the form of drops of juice on the stems.
What is the process
Root pressure is a process that is osmotic and occurs in the cells of the root system. As a result, the juice contained in the stem of the plants gets the opportunity to move to the leaves and the top of the stem. It occurs in the xylem of crops during periods of high soil moisture or at night. In order to measure the root pressure of plants, experts advise using pressure gauges. To do this operation, it is necessary to cut the stem of the plant at the very surface of the soil. At this time, the juice will stand out from the cut. This can happen from an hour to several days.
Pressure in the roots of plants contributes to the intensive distribution of nutrients in the root system and the stem of the crop. In addition, this process pushes moisture up the stem, but this is not enough to explain the movement of water in the leaves on the tops of large trees. Root movement is a transporter of water and useful trace elements from the roots to the tops of the crown. Scientists have proven that the maximum value of pressure in plants is 0.6 megapascals.
Movement of water in plants
Scientists identify two ways that cause moisture to move up the stem of a plant. The first way is directly root pressure. In its process, water moves from the root system up the stem. Howeverroot pressure is not able to raise the moisture high enough, so there is another way. It's called transpiration. During this process, most of the water passes through the stomata. These are a kind of holes that are on the underside of the foliage. First, water moves up under the influence of root pressure, and then transpiration begins to work, and it already supplies moisture to the leaves. Water has polar molecules that, when approached, form a hydrogen bond. And water enters the xylem directly with the help of osmosis. Evaporation occurs regularly from the surface of the leaves. Therefore, for the normal existence of the plant, a regular supply of moisture is so important. Without it, the life of any culture is impossible.
