Jan. 12,1924 
Anchorage and Extent of Corn Root Systems 
73 
Table) II .—Data on root anchorage of twenty-eight erect plants of a good inbred strain and 
a similar number of erect plants in an adjacent row of an inbred strain susceptible to 
rootrot, the corn being planted May 30, IQ22 , near Bloomington, III., in brown silt 
loam soil, and root anchorage data taken September 26, IQ22 
Character of strain. 
Number 
of plants 
pulled. 
Mean pulling 
resistance 
per plant. 
1 
Difference in pulling 
resistance. 
Odds. 
Good. 
28 
Pounds. 
208.0 
Pounds. 
Per cent. 
Susceptible to rootrot. 
28 
159-4 
48.6 
23-4 
132:1 
The relation of root anchorage to lodging is shown by data presented 
in Table III. As the mean pulling resistance of erect plants decreased, 
Fig. i. —Graphic representation of data in Table III, showing increase in force necessary to uproot com 
plants as the percentage of erect plants increased. 
the percentage of leaning plants increased. These data are presented 
graphically in figure 1. 
Strains which have the ability to stand erect throughout the season 
may vary greatly in their resistance to a vertical pull, as shown by data 
presented in Table IV. The difference of 32.7 pounds, or 9 per cent, in 
pulling resistance between G-4-2 and G-4-3 is not significant in view of 
the small odds involved. The difference of 118.9 pounds, or 32.9 per cent, 
however, between G--4-2 and G-4-4, with odds of 999:1, is very sig¬ 
nificant. 
