The Effect of Artificial Wind on the Growth-rate of Plants in Water Culture: With Plate and three Figures in the Text

Abstract

Young plants of Brassica napus (rape), Hordeum vulgare, and Pisum sativum growing in water culture have been exposed to four continuous wind speeds for from 4 to 5 days. The plants were exposed to natural daylight, humidity, and temperature in a wind tunnel in which only air movement was controlled. The wind speeds found among the plants in the four sections of this tunnel were approximately 0·3, 0·7, 1·7, and 4·0 m./sec. The results showed no significant change in relative growth-rate or net assinilation rate with wind speed. Previously published results, obtained with plants in soil or sand culture, have differed from those in the present experiments in showing a fall in the amount of growth as wind speed increased. It is suggested that the reduction in growth found in these previous experiments was caused by partial drying out of the plants, whilst in the present experiments water-supply to the roots was abundant and this effect was considerably reduced.