Az Eszterházy Károly Tanárképző Főiskola Tudományos Közleményei. 2004. Sectio Biologiae. (Acta Academiae Paedagogicae Agriensis : Nova series ; Tom. 25)

Zsoldos, F., Vashegyi, Á., Pécsváradi, A. and Bóna, L.: Aluminium toxicity in roots: correlation between root elongation and potassium fluxes in aluminium-sensitive and aluminium-tolerant cereal species

Acta Acad. Paed. Agriensis, Sectio Biologiae XXV (2004) 15912

6 Aluminium toxicity in roots: correlation between root elongation and potassium fluxes in aluminium-sensitive and aluminium-tolerant cereal species Zsoldos, F.

1,

3, Vashegyi, Á.

1, Pécsváradi, A.

1 and Bóna, L.

2 1 Department of Plant Physiology, University of Szeged, P.O.B. 654, H-6701 Szeged, Hungary 2Cereal Research Non-Profit Co., P.O.B. 391, H-6701 Szeged, Hungary 3Corresponding author, zsoldos@bio.u-szeged.hu Abstract. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of aluminium (Al) and phosphate (P)-treatments on the growth and potassium uptake of roots and transport toward the shoots in Al-sensitive and Altolerant cereal species. Seedlings were grown hydroponically at pH 4.1 in the presence and absence of Al and P. Al in the growth solution reduced root growth in the order of Al-tolerance (rye>triticale>common wheat>durum wheat). Shoot growth was only moderately influenced at 50 pM Al concentration. P0

4-P in the growth solution enabled plants to overcome Al toxicity symptoms, however, different species respond differently to Papplication. In the short-term (6h) K

+(

8

6Rb) uptake experiments P reduced the toxic effect of Al treatments, which indicates an obvious Al-P interaction at the plant level. Keywords: aluminium, phosphate, phytotoxicity, growth, potassium uptake, durum wheat, common wheat, triticale, rye, pH Introduction Al toxicity is the major factor limiting crop productivity on acid soils, which comprise up to 40% of the world's arable soils (Bona et al. 1995; Foy 1992; von Uexkuell and Mutert 1995). Much of the damage to plant production is due to excess Al, the most common metal in soils. Al in soils