| Abstract: | Leaf growth of kale seedlings was compared over a range of soil-moisturecontents during a single drying cycle in a number of constantenvironments. With the particular soil and environments used,and when senescence effects were eliminated, relative leaf growth-ratewas a linear function of soil-moisture percentage in the rangeequivalent to pF 1.7 and 4.2. The relationship was independentof differences in the rate of change of soil moisture resultingfrom changes in atmospheric humidity or in the ratio of leafarea to amount of water in the soil mass. Nevertheless, smallchanges in the rate of water loss integrated over a period canhave relatively large effects on yield. |
