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Show Corn Roots Breathe And Require Oxygen Proper Drainage And Air Essential TF CORN roots are to perform their 1 all-important job of supplying mineral nutrients to the above-ground, above-ground, sun-lighted parts of the plants, they must be grown in well-drained, well-drained, ventilated soils that provide them with plenty of oxygen to breathe, according to Dr. George N. HofTer of the American Potash institute. in-stitute. "Corn plants cannot endure wet soils for any length of time, nor &vt&'Xf, -'&S--j'ijAf&tt Result of Good Management. can they get along without plenty of oxygen for their hard working root systems," Dr. Hoffer declared. "Few farmers realize the amount of work these roots carry on. They must anchor the plant firmly, and absorb nutrients from the soil to support the demands of the other parts of the plants. They are the living parts of the corn plant we frequently overlook when we try to diagnose foliage deficiency symptoms, symp-toms, or become dissatisfied with the size and quality of the ears produced." pro-duced." Pointing out that many fields of midwestern corn were fertilized by the so-called "plow-under" method last season, Dr. HofTer declared that excellent results were obtained in practically all cases where the S0U3 were well-drained and in good tilth and where the stands of corn and the rainfall were ample. During the latter part of the 1944 growing season, however, numerous cases of "negative" response to the plow-furrow fertilizers were reported. re-ported. The heavily fertilized plants were no better than those fertilized in the regular manner with row applications. ap-plications. "Briefly, the diagnosis of these troubles seemed to be as follows," Dr. HofTer stated, "when large quantities of organic matter and nitrogen - carrying fertilizers are plowed into the soil, enormous amounts of nutrient and energy materials are available for the corn plant roots and the soil organisms mostly bacteria and fungi to feed upon. These stimulated activities created a large demand for oxygen for both the growing corn roots and those other soil inhabitants. In well-drained soils in good tilth and aeration capacity, the oxygen of the air and that carried into the soil in rain is adequate for all the living entities involved. "But when the supply of oxygen In the soil, air and water becomes insufficient for the living corn roots and other organisms, an oxygen tension is created under which the corn roots cannot compete with the soil bacteria and fungi." |