© 1992 Heron Publishing—Victoria, Canada
Soil water content, soil strength and the growth of elm root suckers
D. P. Yau and R. Sands
Forestry Section, School of Agriculture and Forestry, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia / Received December 4, 1990
Summary
The elongation rate of root suckers of Dutch elm (Ulmus × hollandica Mill.) increased with increasing age of the sucker, soil water content and net growth pressure (the excess of turgor pressure
over soil restraining pressure) and it decreased with increasing soil strength. The increase in the rate of sucker elongation
with age was probably the result of a decrease in osmotic potential causing an increase in the turgor pressure. Increasing
soil strength increased the rate of osmotic adjustment. The increase in the rate of sucker elongation with increasing soil
water content was probably due to an increase in the water potential of the sucker and a decrease in soil strength associated
with increasing soil water content.
