Bubble manometers for the continuous measurement of root pressure in tropical crops.

Authors

  • Marco V. Gutiérrez-Soto Universidad de Costa Rica, Estación Experimental Agrícola Fabio Baudrit Moreno
  • Rubén Calderón-Cerdas Universidad de Costa Rica, Estación Experimental Agrícola Fabio Baudrit Moreno
  • José Miguel Araya-Alfaro Universidad de Costa Rica, Estación Experimental Agrícola Fabio Baudrit Moreno

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15517/am.v22i2.8745

Keywords:

Guttation, physiological disorders, substrate, water uptake and transport, xylem.

Abstract

The objective of
this technical note is to introduce a low-cost bubble manometer
to measure root pressure in different environments,
where it is a major component of several physio-pathological
disorders of crop plants. The concept and mechanisms of
root pressure are explained, its putative functions, and its
association with various physiological disorders such as fruit
and stem cracking, leaf infi ltration and burst, guttation and
plant surface wetness, and the development of several preand
post-harvest diseases. The construction, installation and
functioning of bubble manometers to measure root pressure
is described. The importance of controlling root pressure
as part of the root-zone management strategy is discussed,
which includes interventions the physical, chemical, and
biological properties of soil and substrates, especially near
and around the rhizosphere, and of the aerial environment
of crop plants.

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How to Cite

Gutiérrez-Soto, M. V., Calderón-Cerdas, R., & Araya-Alfaro, J. M. (2011). Bubble manometers for the continuous measurement of root pressure in tropical crops. Agronomía Mesoamericana, 22(2), 405–414. https://doi.org/10.15517/am.v22i2.8745