Soil strength modification of root development and soil water extraction

The root development of cotton (tap root system) and corn (fibrous root system) in field studies was greatly restricted on a high-strength Hanford sandy loam, compared with that on a low-strength Panoche clay loam. The high strength of the Hanford soil prevented significant root development below two feet, with the result that as much as 80% of extraction of soil water was from the surface foot of soil only.