Water Uptake by Plants
Résumé
Plants uptake water from the soil through their roots to ensure their biosynthesis and transpiration. This chapter describes the sequence of processes along the transport path of water during water uptake: supply of water from the soil to the roots, water absorption by the root and finally the long distance transport of water through the vascular network of the roots to the aerial parts. The cohesion-tension theory is currently the most widely accepted theory to explain water transfer from roots to leaves during transpiration in plants. The rhizosphere is the soil volume close to the roots that is directly influenced by their presence from a biological, chemical and physical point of view. The rhizosphere can form a soil sheath which adheres to the roots. In soil, water absorption and its evolution over time results from the ratio between supply and demand but also from interactions between the plant and the soil.