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Adverse Effect of Shoot Growth on Root Growth in Rooted Cuttings of Aspen
Author(s) -
ELIASSON LENNART
Publication year - 1971
Publication title -
physiologia plantarum
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.351
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1399-3054
pISSN - 0031-9317
DOI - 10.1111/j.1399-3054.1971.tb01441.x
Subject(s) - shoot , cutting , photosynthesis , biology , botany , competition (biology) , horticulture , root system , ecology
Abstract In experiments with rooted cuttings of aspen ( Populus tremula L). with a small leaf area, it was found that the roots grew well as long as there was no shoot growth. The onset of shoot growth was followed by a period of decreased root growth. When the leaf area had increased sufficiently, root growth recovered. Decreasing the shoot growth by removal of growth points in the shoot or by short day treatment increased the fraction of photosynthesis products used for root growth, leading to increased root/shoot ratios. Competition between growing shoots and roots for carbohydrates formed in photosynthesis is considered to cause the effects noted and to be of importance for maintaining the balance between the root and shoot systems.