Effect of Partial Root Absorption of Water and Fertilizer on Leaf Water Stress and Growth of Tomato Plant

Experiments were conducted to confirm that roots stemming from a tomato plant could possess different function to ease adverse environmental effects. Three lateral shoots of forth foliage stage tomato were forced to grow continuously, other growing points being removed. Two of these shoots were then allowed to roots in humid sand media. The original plant roots were cut off, and the plants were grown hydroponically with rooted lateral shoots in nutrient solutions of either single or two concentrations. Plant hight, leaf water potential, water and nutrient uptake decreased substantially when their roots were immersed in water or single higher concentrated solution. These responses, however, recovered up to nearly normal level in plants having the roots separately dipped in two solutions of different concentrations. This fact suggest that when roots are separated into two parts and grown in solutions of different concentrations, the roots in a better environment decrease the damage.