A combined root growth and water extraction model is described that simulates the affects of mechanical impedance on root elongation in soil. The model simulates the vertical redistribution of water in the soil profile, water uptake by plant roots, and the effects of decreasing water content on increasing soil strength and decreasing the root elongation rate. The modelling approach is quite general and can be applied to any soil for which a relation can be defined between root elongation and penetrometer resistance. By definition this excludes soils that contain a large proportion of continuous channels through which roots can grow unimpeded. Root elongation rate is calculated as a function of the penetrometer resistance which is determined by the soil water content. Use of the model is illustrated using input data for a sandy loam soil. The results confirm reports in the literature that the depth of water extraction can exceed the rooting depth. The increase in mechanical impedance to root growth due to this water extraction restricted the maximum rooting depth attained, and this limited the depth of soil from which a crop could extract water and nutrients. This study highlighted the lack of published data sets for single crop/soil combinations containing both the strength/root growth information and the hydraulic conductivity characteristics necessary for this type of model. Copyright 1997 Academic Press Limited