[Mathematical modeling of measuring the hydraulic conductivity of roots by the relaxation method]

The continuum model of radial mass transfer in plant roots developed previously has been used for processing the nonstationary experiments aimed at the determination of the root hydraulic conductivity. It is shown that, in contrast to compartmental models, our model allows one to describe the shape of the relaxation curve, in particular to separate segments with different relaxation times. It has been found that, for correctly determining the hydraulic conductivity, the method of data processing should be modified. A method for estimating the extracellular to intracellular conductivity ratio has been proposed.