A researcher says there is a lot to learn about the roots of corn plants.
Jim Schwartz with Beck’s Hybrids tells Brownfield some varieties have deep penetrating roots, while others spread out in a wider pattern, and that affects the nutrient uptake of the corn plant. “So, if you think about it, many nutrients are absorbed from a very small distance away from the roots. That’s a process called diffusion. Nitrates, borates, sulfates, the come from a further distance that that’s called mass flow.”
Schwartz says learning more about how roots function will help farmers make better management decisions.
