Growth function and intercellular water transfer in excised roots

On the example of maize seedling roots, it was shown that segments of the root suction zone excised from intact mother seedlings maintain the function of elongation growth and are able to regulate water transfer. Using the gradient NMR method, the effective intercellular permeability of root suction zone segments was shown to reduce with respect to intact seedling roots. The segment fragmentation into smaller pieces 3 mm long resulted in the permeability decrease by 60%. The reduction is associated with the cell defensive response to water loss through cuts and blocking of the additive water transfer along the segment length, resulting from segment cutting.