finding the fountain of youth
Maintaining a Healthy
Root Zone
We have seen how important it is to control the aboveground conditions while supplying plant growth
regulators, but enhancing the rhizosphere, or root
zone, has huge benefits as well in delaying senescence.
Growers who ensure adequate availability of moisture
and solubility of nutrients in soil solutions can delay
senescence, as excessive moisture levels in the root
zone reduces oxygen concentrations and can hinder
the exchange of nutrients. Saturated soil promotes
roots that shelter themselves from the elements as they
form a waxy-like surface upon them called suberin. The
cork-like layer shields the damaging effects of increased
moisture stress, lowering yields dramatically.
“Growers who ensure
adequate availability
of moisture and
solubility of
nutrients in soil
solutions can delay
senescence.
"
Reducing Environmental
Stressors
The deaths of individual cells in tissues such
as the xylem appear to be controlled by
internal factors, but senescence often depends
on a steady state. To keep producing, plants
need a constant microclimate harmonious to
life. The redistribution of nutrients to actively growing
parts of the plant is greatly affected by the climate of
the day. Plants in drought stress react by reducing the
function of xylem channels, hindering the transport
of water and nutrients, limiting plant productivity and
greatly reducing yields. Buds and fruits exposed to these
conditions rush headlong towards death in their hurry
to complete the life cycle and ensure the viability of the
next generation. Not only is it critical to control these
cumulative conditions, the effect of even moderate
drought stressors can damage xylems and often leads to
fruit poor set, cracking, pitting, splitting and blossom
end rot as well as poor overall fruit quality and taste.
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Maximum Yield USA | January 2015