The influence of pH on the toxicity of a low concentration of aluminum to white spruce seedlings

1992 ◽  
Vol 70 (7) ◽  
pp. 1488-1492 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Nosko ◽  
Kenneth A. Kershaw
Keyword(s):  
Root Growth ◽  
Picea Glauca ◽  
Forest Decline ◽  
Shoot Growth ◽  
Aluminum Toxicity ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
White Spruce ◽  
Ph Values ◽  
Influence Of Ph ◽  
Key Words Aluminum

Week-old white spruce seedlings were grown for 7 days at pH 4.5, 3.9, 3.65, or 3.5 using a continuous flow system to deliver experimental solutions. At each pH, seedlings received either no aluminum or 10 μM Al, a concentration 2 – 3 orders of magnitude lower than the reported minimum Al concentrations required to induce toxicity symptoms in seedlings of a variety of tree species. In – Al treatments, root elongation was reduced at pH 3.9 and root dry weight was reduced at pH 3.5, compared with seedlings grown at pH 4.5. Exposure to 10 μM Al caused further reduction of root growth, the magnitude of which increased as pH decreased. This suggests that seedling root growth was affected by the increased proportion of the total Al existing as phytotoxic Al3+ at lower pH values or by an interaction of Al3+ and H+. Neither pH nor Al affected shoot growth. Both acidity and Al could limit natural regeneration of white spruce by preventing seedling establishment. Key words: aluminum toxicity, soil acidity, forest decline, white spruce, Picea glauca, forest regeneration.

Response of ectomycorrhizal and nonmycorrhizal pitch pine (Pinusrigida) seedlings to nutrient supply and aluminum: growth and mineral nutrition

1996 ◽  
Vol 26 (12) ◽  
pp. 2145-2152 ◽  
Author(s):  
George A. Schier ◽  
Carolyn J. McQuattie
Keyword(s):  
Root Growth ◽  
Mineral Nutrition ◽  
Shoot Growth ◽  
Aluminum Toxicity ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Nutrient Supply ◽  
Al Toxicity ◽  
Nutrient Level ◽  
Pitch Pine ◽  
Mycorrhizal Inoculation

Mycorrhizal colonization and nutrient supply may have important effects on aluminum toxicity in trees grown on acidic, nutrient-poor soils. The interacting effects of mycorrhizal inoculation, nutrient level, and Al treatment on growth and mineral nutrition of pitch pine (Pinusrigida Mill.) seedlings grown with and without the ectomycorrhizal fungus Pisolithustinctorius (Pers.) Coker & Couch were determined. The seedlings were grown for 66 days in sand irrigated with 0.1- or 0.2-strength nutrient solution (pH 3.8) containing 0, 10, or 20 mg/L Al (0, 0.37, or 0.74 mM). Across nutrient and Al levels total dry weight of ectomycorrhizal (ECM) seedlings was 75% greater than that of nonmycorrhizal (NM) seedlings. Doubling the nutrient level increased the dry weight of NM seedlings by 120%, versus 60% for ECM seedlings. Aluminum reduced root and shoot growth in NM seedlings, but had no effect on shoot growth and only a marginally significant effect on root growth of ECM seedlings. Shoot growth of NM seedlings was more sensitive to Al than root growth. Increased growth of NM seedlings by doubling the nutrient level was least at the highest Al level. Symptoms of Al toxicity in roots (dark, stunted tips) occurred at a lower Al level in NM than ECM seedlings. A strong relationship was not found between Al toxicity and concentrations of Mg and Ca in roots and needles. Enhancement of growth resulting from increased uptake of nutrients due to mycorrhizal inoculation (and) or an increased level of nutrients was the overriding factor affecting the response of pitch pine seedlings to Al.

scholarly journals Evaluation of a Substrate-applied Humectant to Mitigate Drought Stress in Young, Container-grown Plants

2015 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 137-141
Author(s):  
Bruce R. Roberts ◽  
Chris Wolverton ◽  
Samantha West
Keyword(s):  
Drought Stress ◽  
Root Growth ◽  
Shoot Growth ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Root:Shoot Ratio ◽  
Xylem Water Potential ◽  
Bedding Plants ◽  
Shoot Dry Weight ◽  
Soilless Substrate ◽  
Absorbing Roots

The efficacy of treating soilless substrate with a commercial humectant was tested as a means of suppressing drought stress in 4-week-old container-grown Zinnia elegans Jacq. ‘Thumbelina’. The humectant was applied as a substrate amendment at concentrations of 0.0, 0.8, 1.6 and 3.2% by volume prior to withholding irrigation. An untreated, well-watered control was also included. The substrate of treated plants was allowed to dry until the foliage wilted, at which time the plants were harvested and the following measurements taken: number of days to wilt (DTW), xylem water potential (ψx), shoot growth (shoot dry weight, leaf area) and root growth (length, diameter, surface area, volume, dry weight). For drought-stressed plants grown in humectant-treated substrate at concentrations of 1.6 and 3.2%, DTW increased 25 and 33%, respectively. A linear decrease in ψx was observed as the concentration of humectant increased from 0.0 to 3.2%. Linear trends were also noted for both volumetric moisture content (positive) and evapotranspiration (negative) as the concentration of humectant increased. For non-irrigated, untreated plants, stress inhibited shoot growth more than root growth, resulting in a lower root:shoot ratio. For non-irrigated, humectant-treated plants, the length of fine, water-absorbing roots increased linearly as humectant concentration increased from 0.0 to 3.2%. Using humectant-amended substrates may be a management option for mitigating the symptoms of drought stress during the production of container-grown bedding plants such as Z. elegans.

Yellow lupin (Lupinus luteus) tolerates waterlogging better than narrow-leafed lupin (L. angustifolius) I. Shoot and root growth in a controlled environment

2000 ◽  
Vol 51 (6) ◽  
pp. 701 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. L. Davies ◽  
D. W. Turner ◽  
M. Dracup
Keyword(s):  
Root Growth ◽  
Western Australia ◽  
Shoot Growth ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Lupinus Luteus ◽  
Controlled Environment ◽  
Yellow Lupin ◽  
Legume Crop ◽  
Leaf Dry Weight ◽  
Better Than

We studied the adaptation of narrow-leafed lupin (Lupinus angustifolius) and yellow lupin (L. luteus) to waterlogging because yellow lupin may have potential as a new legume crop for coarse-textured, acidic, waterlogging-prone areas in Western Australia. In a controlled environment, plants were waterlogged for 14 days at 28 or 56 days after sowing (DAS). Plants were more sensitive when waterlogged from 56 to 70 DAS than from 28 to 42 DAS, root growth was more sensitive than shoot growth, and leaf expansion was more sensitive than leaf dry weight accumulation. Waterlogging reduced the growth of narrow-leafed lupin (60–81%) more than that of yellow lupin (25–56%) and the response was more pronounced 2 weeks after waterlogging ceased than at the end of waterlogging. Waterlogging arrested net root growth in narrow-leafed lupin but not in yellow lupin, so that after 2 weeks of recovery the root dry weight of yellow lupin was the same as that of the control plants but in narrow-leafed lupin it was 62% less than the corresponding control plants. Both species produced equal amounts of hypocotyl root when waterlogged from 28 to 42 DAS but yellow lupin produced much greater amounts than narrow-leafed lupin when waterlogged from 56 to 70 DAS.

Changes in drought resistance and root growth capacity of container seedlings in response to nursery drought, nitrogen, and potassium treatments

1992 ◽  
Vol 22 (5) ◽  
pp. 740-749 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. van den Driessche
Keyword(s):  
Drought Stress ◽  
Root Growth ◽  
Drought Resistance ◽  
Lodgepole Pine ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
White Spruce ◽  
Douglas Fir ◽  
Growth Capacity ◽  
Root Growth Capacity ◽  
N Treatment

Douglas-fir (Pseudotsugamenziesii (Mirb.) Franco), lodgepole pine (Pinuscontorta Dougl.), and white spruce (Piceaglauca (Moench) Voss) seedlings, each represented by two seed lots, were grown in Styroblock containers in a greenhouse and plastic shelter house from February 1989 to January 1990. The seedlings were exposed to two nitrogen (N) treatments and three potassium (K) treatments arranged factorially within three drought treatments. After winter storage, seedlings from a complete set of treatments were planted into hygric, mesic, and xeric sand beds during 12–14 March. Increasing nursery drought stress increased survival of Douglas-fir and lodgepole pine after planting, and high N treatment level increased survival of lodgepole pine and white spruce. Under xeric conditions, combined nursery drought and high N treatments increased survival of lodgepole pine by 33%, indicating the importance of nursery cultural regime for stock quality. Increase in nursery drought decreased seedling size relatively little, but increase in N increased seedling size one season after planting. A positive relationship between shoot/root ratio and survival in lodgepole pine and white spruce indicated that increase in N increased both shoot growth and drought resistance over the N range investigated. Only Douglas-fir showed an interaction between drought and N treatment and a small response in both survival and dry weight to K. Root growth capacity, measured at the time of planting, showed an approximate doubling in all species due to high N treatment, and was also increased in white spruce by drought stress. Survival and root growth capacity were poorly correlated, but dry-weight growth in sand beds was well correlated with root growth capacity. Shoot dry weight and percent N in shoots measured after nursery growth were correlated with root growth capacity. Manipulation of root growth capacity by changing nursery treatment was apparently possible without altering resistance to drought stress after planting.

Early growth of planted spruce

1984 ◽  
Vol 14 (5) ◽  
pp. 644-651 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. N. Burdett ◽  
L. J. Herring ◽  
C. F. Thompson
Keyword(s):  
Root Growth ◽  
Shoot Growth ◽  
Slow Release ◽  
Unit Length ◽  
White Spruce ◽  
Early Growth ◽  
Height Growth ◽  
Needle Length ◽  
Growth Capacity ◽  
Root Growth Capacity

Observations were made on the growth of white spruce (Piceaglauca (Moench) Voss) and Engelmann spruce (P. engelmanni Parry), each planted at a single location in the interior of British Columbia. In both species bareroot stock (either 2 + 0 seedlings or 2 + 1 transplants) with a low root growth capacity made only limited height growth during the first two seasons after planting. In the first season, many short stem units were formed, whereas in the second season, stem units were much longer but many fewer. The length of needles formed after planting by the bareroot trees was, in the first season, only about half that of needles formed the previous year in the nursery. Needle length increased slightly in the 2nd year. Container-grown trees (1 + 0 seedlings from 336-mL containers), which had a high root growth capacity, made relatively good height growth in the first season when they formed long needles and stem units. Height growth by these seedlings was much less in the second season, however, as were needle length and stem unit number, but not stem unit length. Application of slow release N,P, and K fertilizer at planting improved shoot growth by bareroot trees more in the second season than the first. In contrast, the container-grown stock made a large shoot growth response to fertilization in both the first and the second seasons. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that, as root establishment proceeds, shoot growth tends to be limited by the supply, first of water, then of mineral nutrients. This implies that the early growth of planted spruce can be maximized by using stock with a high root growth capacity, or other adaptations to drought, and applying slow release fertilizer at planting. Observations on the white spruce revealed an acceleration in shoot growth by both stock types during the third season. This followed the establishment, by the end of the second season, of root systems several metres in diameter. A large difference in height: diameter ratio, observed at the time of planting, between the container-grown and bareroot white spruce disappeared entirely in the course of the first three growing seasons.

Whole plant response of crop and weed species to high subsoil boron

2006 ◽  
Vol 57 (7) ◽  
pp. 761 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eun-Young Choi ◽  
Ann McNeill ◽  
David Coventry ◽  
James Stangoulis
Keyword(s):  
Root Growth ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Direct Relationship ◽  
Shoot Growth ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Total Water ◽  
Weed Species ◽  
Evening Primrose ◽  
Whole Plant ◽  
Prickly Lettuce

Within the semi-arid region of south-eastern Australia, high levels of subsoil boron (B) in alkaline soil can limit production of dryland crops. The aim of this research was to investigate the whole plant response to a range of subsoil-extractable B concentrations for a number of crop and weed species common to agricultural areas of South Australia. Specifically, the objectives were to determine (a) the morphological response of the entire root system to high subsoil B and (b) the available B concentrations in subsoil critical for expression of shoot traits commonly used in selection of B tolerance. Barley grass (Hordeum glaucum L.), crop barley (Hordeum vulgare) variety Clipper and breeders’ line VB9953, fababean (Vicia faba var. Fjiord), Lincoln weed (Diplotaxis tenuifolia L.), prickly lettuce (Lactuca serriola), and evening primrose (Oenothera stricta L.) were grown in sealed PVC cylinders (500 mm deep by 150 mm diam.) containing a sandy soil. The concentration of extractable B in the topsoil (0–0.20 m), considered non-toxic, was 0.5 mg/kg for all cylinders but a range of B treatments (0.5, 2.4, 4.3, 6.8, or 12.2 mg/kg) was applied directly to the subsoil (0.30–0.50 m). Increasing the concentration of extractable B in the subsoil decreased root dry weight in this region, but did not reduce water use from subsoil by barley grass or evening primrose. The response of the roots in the topsoil and subsequent responses in the shoot also differed among species. Symptoms of B toxicity in shoots of all the species were observed at subsoil-extractable B concentrations of 12.2 mg/kg and at lower concentrations in some of the crop and weed species. Shoot growth, total water use, and root growth in topsoil of Clipper and Lincoln weed were severely impaired by high subsoil-extractable B, as was topsoil root growth in evening primrose, with the reduction in the weed species being mostly associated with a decrease in taproot dry weight. Barley grass, VB9953, evening primrose, and to a lesser extent fababean and prickly lettuce, maintained shoot growth at all subsoil-extractable B concentrations, despite a reduction in subsoil water use by VB9953. Prickly lettuce and VB9953 also sustained root growth in the topsoil whilst fababean and barley grass increased root growth in the topsoil in response to high subsoil extractable B. There was no direct relationship between the quantity of B accumulated in shoots and detrimental effects on growth. Furthermore, there appeared to be no direct relationship between water uptake and B uptake since irrespective of the effect of subsoil B on either subsoil or total water use, shoot B concentration increased in all the species/genotypes as subsoil B increased. The degree to which plants were deemed to exhibit tolerance was, therefore, highly dependent upon the trait used for assessment. One suggestion in the current study is that shoot dry matter in B toxic soil can be a consistent parameter for considering varieties for tolerance to B toxicity.

Effect of Naptalam on Chloramben Toxicity, Uptake, Translocation, and Metabolism in Cucumber (Cucumis sativus)

Weed Science ◽  
1991 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-32
Author(s):  
Larry D. Knerr ◽  
Herbert J. Hopen ◽  
Nelson E. Balke
Keyword(s):  
Root Growth ◽  
Cucumis Sativus ◽  
Shoot Growth ◽  
Petri Dish ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Laboratory Studies ◽  
Cucumber Seedlings ◽  
Plant Parts ◽  
Cucumber Roots ◽  
Hydroponically Grown

Laboratory studies demonstrated that naptalam safens cucumber against the phytotoxic effects of chloramben. In petri dish studies, cucumber seedlings grown from seeds exposed to chloramben plus naptalam had greater shoot growth, root growth, and dry weight than seedlings grown from seeds exposed to chloramben alone. Naptalam also partially reversed the reduction in dry weight of various plant parts caused by exposure of roots of hydroponically grown seedlings to chloramben. More radioactivity from root-applied14C-chloramben remained in cucumber roots and less was translocated to shoots with a14C-chloramben plus naptalam treatment than with a14C-chloramben alone treatment. Naptalam appeared to influence chloramben metabolism. In various plant parts, concentrations of chloramben and its metabolites differed between the two treatments.

Response of red spruce and balsam fir seedlings to aluminum toxicity in nutrient solutions

1985 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
George A. Schier
Keyword(s):  
Shoot Growth ◽  
Aluminum Toxicity ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Mineral Elements ◽  
Red Spruce ◽  
Balsam Fir ◽  
Cortical Cells ◽  
Hydroponic System ◽  
Nutrient Solutions ◽  
Manganese Magnesium

Red spruce (Picearubens Sarg.) and balsam fir (Abiesbalsamea (L.) Mill.) were grown in nutrient solutions containing 0, 25, 50, 100, and 200 mg/L aluminum (Al) at pH 3.8. Seedlings died only when placed directly in solutions containing Al without first being conditioned to growth in a hydroponic system. In preconditioned seedlings, no evidence of Al injury was noted in the tops of seedlings at any level of Al, except for small reductions in shoot growth. Aluminum toxicity symptoms in roots, however, were well developed, though spruce showed less tolerance than fir. Inhibition of root growth in both species was first evident at 50 mg/L Al, root lengths decreasing with increasing concentrations of Al. Spruce seedlings at Al concentrations of 100 mg/L and higher were characterized by thickened, stunted, dark brown roots. Root deterioration was caused by Al-induced destruction of epidermal and cortical cells. Although root elongation was severely restricted in spruce and fir, root dry weight was not significantly reduced. Aluminum decreased seedling uptake of most mineral elements; manganese, magnesium, and zinc were affected most and boron and phosphorus least.

scholarly journals Moderate sodium has positive effects on shoots but not roots of salt-tolerant barley grown in a potassium-deficient sandy soil

2011 ◽  
Vol 62 (11) ◽  
pp. 972 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qifu Ma ◽  
Richard Bell ◽  
Ross Brennan
Keyword(s):  
Root Growth ◽  
Shoot Growth ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Triticum Aestivum L ◽  
Salt Tolerant ◽  
Hordeum Vulgare L ◽  
Barley Cultivars ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Shoot Dry Weight ◽  
K Deficiency

In the agricultural lands of south-western Australia, salinity severely affects about 1 million hectares, and there is also widespread occurrence of potassium (K) deficiency. This study investigated whether the effects of sodium (Na) on crop K nutrition vary with plant salt sensitivity. In a glasshouse experiment with loamy sand, two barley cultivars (Hordeum vulgare L. cv. Gairdner, salt sensitive, and cv. CM72, salt tolerant) and one wheat cultivar (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Wyalkatchem, salt tolerant) were first grown in soil containing 30 mg extractable K/kg for 4 weeks to create mildly K-deficient plants, then subjected to Na (as NaCl) and additional K treatments for 3 weeks. Although high Na (300 mg Na/kg) reduced leaf numbers, moderate Na (100 mg Na/kg) hastened leaf development in barley cultivars but not in wheat. In the salt-tolerant CM72, moderate Na also increased tiller numbers, shoot dry weight and Na accumulation, but not root growth. The positive effect of moderate Na on shoot growth in CM72 was similar to that of adding 45 mg K/kg. Root growth relative to shoot growth was enhanced by adequate K supply (75 mg K/kg) compared with K deficiency, but not by Na supply. Soil Na greatly reduced the K/Na and Ca/Na ratios in shoots and roots, while additional K supply increased the K/Na ratio with little effect on the Ca/Na ratio. The study showed that the substitution of K by Na in barley and wheat was influenced not only by plant K status, but by the potential for Na uptake in roots and Na accumulation in shoots, which may play a major role in salt tolerance. The increased growth in shoots but not roots of salt-tolerant CM72 in response to moderate Na and the greater adverse effect of soil K deficiency on roots than shoots in all genotypes would make the low-K plants more vulnerable to saline and water-limited environments.

scholarly journals Post-Transplant Root System Expansion in Juniperus chinensis L. as Influenced by Production System Mechanical Root Disruption and Soil Type

1987 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 155-158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen C. Blessing ◽  
Michael N. Dana
Keyword(s):  
Root Growth ◽  
Shoot Growth ◽  
Clay Soil ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Clay Soils ◽  
System Expansion ◽  
Similar Data ◽  
Heavy Soil ◽  
Juniperus Chinensis ◽  
Loam Soil

Juniperus chinensis (L.) ‘Sea Green’ from 3.8 1 (#.1) containers (CG) and comparably sized field grown plants balled and burlapped (B&B) were planted in clay and loam soil in mid-June. Prior to transplanting, root balls of the CG plants were either mechanlcally disrupted by vertical cuts (D/CG) or left undisturbed (CG). Root growth beyond the original root ball and shoot extension growth in loam soil were determined at 8 and 12 weeks, while similar data were collected from loam and clay soils at 16 wks. B&B plants and D/CG plants produced greater dry weight of new roots, but less shoot growth at 8 wks than CG plants with an undisturbed root ball. By 16 wks, B&B plants had produced greater new root dry weight than either CG treatment and shoot growth was not different among treatments. In clay soil B&B plants produced greater dry weight of new roots than CG plants. Root ball disruption reduced new root growth in the heavy soil compared to CG plants. Shoot growth was not different among treatments in the heavy soil, but was significantly diminished compared to shoot growth on the lighter, loam soil.

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