biologia plantarum

Biologia plantarum 43:523-528, 2000 | DOI: 10.1023/A:1002806522138

Long-Distance Transport of Alkali Metals in Maturing Wheat

S. Zeller¹, U. Feller^1,*

¹ Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Berne, Berne, Switzerland

The alkali metals cesium, rubidium, lithium and sodium were introduced together with strontium via flaps into leaf laminas or into the stem of maturing, intact winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Arina) grown in a field. Long-distance transport of these elements and the influence of the application date and of different application positions were investigated. The phloem-immobile Sr served as a marker for the distribution of the xylem sap in the plants. Dry matter accumulation in the grains and the transpiration per shoot were not markedly affected by the treatments as compared to control plants. The phloem mobility was rather high for Cs and Rb. Li was almost immobile in the phloem (similarly to Sr). An application into the cut stem xylem below the second leaf node contributed more to the contents in the grains than an application into the flag leaf. An earlier feeding date led to a higher accumulation in the grains. The marked losses of the elements applied during maturation (most pronounced for Li) can be explained by leakage in the rain.

Keywords: accumulation; grains; lithium; mobility; phloem; potassium; rubidium; sodium; strontium; Triticum aestivum; xylem

Subjects: cesium, long-distance transport, maturation; lithium, long-distance transport, maturation; long-distance transport of alkali metals; mobility in xylem and phloem, alkali metals; phloem, mobility of alkali metals; potassium, long-distance transport, maturation; rubidium, long-distance transport, maturation; sodium, long-distance transport, maturation; strontium, marker for long-distance transport; Triticum aestivum; wheat, maturation, alkali metal transport; xylem, mobility of alkali metals

Published: December 1, 2000  Show citation