What role does root pressure play in water movement in plants?
As various ions from the soil are actively transported into the vascular tissues of the roots, water flows and increases the pressure inside the xylem. This positive pressure is called root pressure and can be responsible for pushing up water to small heights in the stem. Root pressure can only provide a modest push in the overall process of water transport. The greatest contribution is to re-establish the continuous chains of water molecules in the xylem which often break under the enormous tensions created by transpiration.
