Showing papers in "Plant and Soil in 1994"

Nutrient uptake in mycorrhizal symbiosis

Abstract: The role of mycorrhizal fungi in acquisition of mineral nutrients by host plants is examined for three groups of mycorrhizas. These are; the ectomycorrhizas (ECM), the ericoid mycorrhizas (EM), and the vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizas (VAM). Mycorrhizal infection may affect the mineral nutrition of the host plant directly by enhancing plant growth through nutrient acquisition by the fungus, or indirectly by modifying transpiration rates and the composition of rhizosphere microflora.

Role of root derived organic acids in the mobilization of nutrients from the rhizosphere

Abstract: The role of organic acids in the mobilization of plant nutrients from the rhizosphere was assessed in seven contrasting soil types. The results indicated that malate was poor at mobilizing micronutrients from all the test soils, whilst citrate was capable of mobilizing significant quantities. Citrate was also capable of mobilizing P from one soil which possessed a large Ca-P fraction. This mobilization of P was due to both the complexing action of the citrate anion and due to the dissolution properties of the protons released from citric acid upon equilibrium with the soil solution. The reaction of citrate with cations was found to be near instantaneous with significant absorption to the solid phase in some soils at low concentrations. Soil decomposition studies indicated that citrate was rapidly broken down in organic soils but was more resistant to degradation in subsoil horizons. It was concluded that organic acids can be expected to be of little consequence in nutrient mobilization from high pH soils, whilst in acid soils they may be involved both in a more general mechanism for micronutrient uptake or as a potential Al detoxification mechanism.

Strategies of plants for acquisition of iron

Abstract: Two different types of root response to Fe deficiency (strategies) have been identified in species of the Plant Kingdom. In Strategy I which occurs in all plant species except grasses, a plasma membrane-bound reductase is induced with enhanced net excretion of protons. Often the release of reductants/chelators is also higher. In Strategy II which is confined to grasses, there is an increase in the biosynthesis and secretion of phytosiderophores which form chelates with FeIII. Uptake of FeIII phytosiderophores is mediated by a specific transporter in the plasma membrane of root cells of grasses. From results based mainly on long-term studies under non-axenic conditions this classification into two strategies has been questioned, and the utilization of Fe from microbial siderophores has been considered as an alternative strategy particularly in grasses. Possible reasons for controversial results are discussed in some detail. The numerous effects of microorganisms in non-axenic cultures, and the as yet inadequate characterization of the so-called standard (basic) reductase present major limitations to understanding different mechanisms of Fe acquisition. In comparison with the progress made in identifying the cellular mechanisms of root responses in Strategy I and Strategy II plants, our understanding is poor concerning the processes taking place in the apoplasm of root rhizodermal cells and of the role of low-molecular-weight root exudates and siderophores in Fe acquisition of plants growing in soils of differing Fe availability.

Interactions between mycorrhizal fungi and other soil organisms

Abstract: Mycorrhizal fungi interact with a wide range of other soil organisms, in the root, in the rhizosphere and in the bulk soil. These interactions may be inhibitory or stimulatory; some are clearly competitive, others may be mutualistic. Effects can be seen at all stages of the mycorrhizal fungal life-cycle, from spore population dynamics (predation, dispersal and germination) through root colonization to external hyphal growth. Two areas that seem likely to be of particular importance to the functioning of the symbiosis are the role of bacteria in promoting mycorrhiza formation and of soil animals in grazing the external mycelium. Mycorrhizal fungi also modify the interactions of plants with other soil organisms, both pathogens, such as root-inhabiting nematodes and fungi, and mutualists, notably nitrogen-fixing bacteria. These interactions are probably important both in natural ecosystems, where pathogens are increasingly recognized as playing controlling roles, and in agricultural systems, where mycorrhizas may be valuable in designing integrated systems of pest control and growth stimulation.

Biofumigation: Isothiocyanates released from Brassica roots inhibit growth of the take-all fungus

Abstract: The presence of root tissue of the brassicas canola and Indian mustard inhibited growth of pure cultures of the fungal pathogen which causes take-all of wheat [Gaeumannomyces graminis (Sacc.) Arx and Oliver var.tritici, abbreviated as Ggt]. Ggt growth was generally inhibited more in the presence of Indian mustard roots than canola roots. Dried irradiated roots were consistently effective in reducing Ggt growth, but growth inhibition by young live roots and macerated roots was not consistent. The inhibitory compound(s) were shown to be volatile because the symmetry of Ggt growth was not affected by the proximity of theBrassica tissue. Volatile breakdown products from maceratedBrassica roots were identified using a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer. The major compounds found were isothiocyanates (ITCs). Canola roots released mostly methyl ITC and Indian mustard roots released mostly phenylethyl ITC. Low concentrations of these and related compounds inhibited growth of Ggt in pure culture when supplied as the vapour of pure chemicals in concentrations within the range expected during breakdown ofBrassica roots in soil.

Iron availability in plant tissues — iron chlorosis on calcareous soils

Abstract: The article describes factors and processes which lead to Fe chlorosis (lime chlorosis) in plants grown on calcareous soils. Such soils may contain high HCO3 - concentrations in their soil solution, they are characterized by a high pH, and they rather tend to accumulate nitrate than ammonium because due to the high pH level ammonium nitrogen is rapidly nitrified and/or even may escape in form of volatile NH3. Hence in these soils plant roots may be exposed to high nitrate and high bicarbonate concentrations. Both anion species are involved in the induction of Fe chlorosis. Physiological processes involved in Fe chlorosis occur in the roots and in the leaves. Even on calcareous soils and even in plants with chlorosis the Fe concentration in the roots is several times higher than the Fe concentration in the leaves. This shows that the Fe availability in the soil is not the critical process leading to chlorosis but rather the Fe uptake from the root apoplast into the cytosol of root cells. This situation applies to dicots as well as to monocots. Iron transport across the plasmamembrane is initiated by FeIII reduction brought about by a plasmalemma located FeIII reductase. Its activity is pH dependent and at alkaline pH supposed to be much depressed. Bicarbonate present in the root apoplast will neutralize the protons pumped out of the cytosol and together with nitrate which is taken up by a H+/nitrate cotransport high pH levels are provided which hamper or even block the FeIII reduction. Frequently chlorotic leaves have higher Fe concentrations than green ones which phenomenon shows that chlorosis on calcareous soils is not only related to Fe uptake by roots and Fe translocation from the roots to the upper plant parts but also dependent on the efficiency of Fe in the leaves. It is hypothesized that also in the leaves FeIII reduction and Fe uptake from the apoplast into the cytosol is affected by nitrate and bicarbonate in an analogous way as this is the case in the roots. This assumption was confirmed by the highly significant negative correlation between the leaf apoplast pH and the degree of iron chlorosis measured as leaf chlorophyll concentration. Depressing leaf apoplast pH by simply spraying chlorotic leaves with an acid led to a regreening of the leaves.

Possible role of soil microorganisms in aggregation in soils

Abstract: In many soils, roots and fungal hyphae, especially those of vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) fungi, stabilize macroaggregates (>250 μm diameter); organic residues, bacteria, polysaccharides and inorganic materials stabilize microaggregates (<250 μm). This review discusses the factors (including other organisms) which affect VAM hyphae and their extracellular polysaccharides in soil, and the subsequent effect on stability of aggregates. The review also discusses the possible role of other organisms, including ectomycorrhizal fungi, in the stability of soil, and suggests future research.

Fine-root growth phenology, production, and turnover in a northern hardwood forest ecosystem

Abstract: A large part of the nutrient flux in deciduous forests is through fine root turnover, yet this process is seldom measured. As part of a nutrient cycling study, fine root dynamics were studied for two years at Huntington Forest in the Adirondack Mountain region of New York, USA. Root growth phenology was characterized using field rhizotrons, three methods were used to estimate fine root production, two methods were used to estimate fine root mortality, and decomposition was estimated using the buried bag technique. During both 1986 and 1987, fine root elongation began in early April, peaked during July and August, and nearly ceased by mid-October. Mean fine root (≤ 3 mm diameter) biomass in the surface 28-cm was 2.5 t ha−1 and necromass was 2.9 t ha−1. Annual decomposition rates ranged from 17 to 30% beneath the litter and 27 to 52% at a depth of 10 cm. Depending on the method used for estimation, fine root production ranged from 2.0 to 2.9 t ha−1, mortality ranged from 1.8 to 3.7 t ha−1 yr−1, and decomposition was 0.9 t ha−1 yr−1. Thus, turnover ranged from 0.8 to 1.2 yr−1. The nutrients that cycled through fine roots annually were 4.5–6.1 kg Ca, 1.1–1.4 kg Mg, 0.3–0.4 kg K, 1.2–1.7 kg P, 20.3–27.3 kg N, and 1.8–2.4 kg S ha−1. Fine root turnover was less important than leaf litterfall in the cycling of Ca and Mg and was similar to leaf litterfall in the amount of N, P, K and S cycled.

The contributions of mycorrhizal fungi to the determination of plant community structure

Abstract: While it is now widely accepted, even by ecologists, that most plants in the majority of ecosystems are infected by mycorrhizal fungi, few experiments have been designed to investigate the function of the mutualism at the community level. Those involved with mycorrhizal research have been largely preoccupied with questions of the mineral, particularly phosphorus, nutrition of individual plants, while plant community ecologists have too often found it convenient, even when acknowledging the presence of infection, to ignore its possible function in the ecosystem.

Amino-acid influx at the soil-root interface of Zea mays L. and its implications in the rhizosphere

Abstract: The aim of the study was to investigate the ability of intact Zea mays L roots to regulate the amount of free amino-acids present in the rhizosphere Using metabolic inhibitors it was demonstrated that the release of amino-acids from the root occurred by passive diffusion, whilst free amino-acids outside the root could be re-captured by an active transport mechanism The influx of amino-acids into the root was shown to be relatively independent of spatial location along the root and was little affected by the presence of other organic compounds in solution It was deduced from root concentration gradients that the main site of amino-acid exudation was at root tips Amino-acid uptake by the root was shown to be independent of both inorganic-N concentration and the presence of other organic solutes in solution A computer simulation model was constructed to assess the contribution of organic-N uptake (acidic, basic and neutral amino-acids) to the plant's N budget, in comparison to the inorganic solutes NO3 and NH4 Simulations of N uptake from a 05 mm radius rhizosphere indicated that when inorganic-N concentrations in soil were limiting (≤01 μmoles cm-3 soil), the uptake of amino-N accounted for up to 90% the total N taken up by the roots In situations where fertilizer inputs are high, and levels of organic matter in soil are low, the contribution of amino-N might still be expected to form <30% of the total N taken up by the root system It was concluded that the uptake of amino-acids from the rhizosphere may be important in both N nutrition and in the minimization of root C and N losses to the soil Consequently this may be important in governing the size of the rhizosphere microbial population

Nodulation and nitrogen fixation in extreme environments

Abstract: Biological nitrogen fixation is a phenomenon occurring in all known ecosystems. Symbiotic nitrogen fixation is dependent on the host plant genotype, the Rhizobium strain, and the interaction of these symbionts with the pedoclimatic factors and the environmental conditions. Extremes of pH affect nodulation by reducing the colonization of soil and the legume rhizosphere by rhizobia. Highly acidic soils (pH 8.0) tend to be high in sodium chloride, bicarbonate, and borate, and are often associated with high salinity which reduce nitrogen fixation. Nodulation and N-fixation are observed under a wide range of temperatures with optima between 20–30°C. Elevated temperatures may delay nodule initiation and development, and interfere with nodule structure and functioning in temperate legumes, whereas in tropical legumes nitrogen fixation efficiency is mainly affected. Furthermore, temperature changes affect the competitive ability of Rhizobium strains. Low temperatures reduce nodule formation and nitrogen fixation in temperate legumes; however, in the extreme environment of the high arctic, native legumes can nodulate and fix nitrogen at rates comparable to those observed with legumes in temperate climates, indicating that both the plants and their rhizobia have successfully adapted to arctic conditions. In addition to low temperatures, arctic legumes are exposed to a short growing season, a long photoperiod, low precipitation and low soil nitrogen levels. In this review, we present results on a number of structural and physiological characteristics which allow arctic legumes to function in extreme environments.

Simultaneous modeling of transient three-dimensional root growth and soil water flow

Abstract: A model is presented for the simultaneous, dynamic simulation of soil water movement and plant root growth. Root apices are translocated in individual growth events as a function of current local soil conditions. A three-dimensional finite-element grid over the considered soil domain serves to define the spatial distribution of soil physical properties and as framework for the transient water flow model. Examples illustrate how field-observed morphology of root systems can be approximated by including even a coarsely discretized description of the soil environment. Intended as a tool for testing of hypotheses on soil-plant interaction, simulations can be performed for different levels of model complexity, depending on how much information is available. At the simplest level, root growth is simulated without soil water uptake, whereas the most comprehensive level includes growth of the shoot and dynamic assimilate allocation to root and shoot.

Issues and perspectives for investigating root responses to elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide

Abstract: A thorough assessment of how plants and ecosystems will respond to increasing concentrations of atmospheric CO2 requires that the responses of root systems and associated belowground processes be understood. Static measures of root-to-shoot ratio have not been satisfactory for describing the integrated responses of plants to CO2-enriched atmospheres, but research with a process orientation has suggested that elevated CO2 can stimulate root growth or root activity and provide a positive feedback on plant growth. There are, however, critical questions concerning the relevance of root data from short-term studies with potted plants when scaling to questions about plants in the field. Data on root responses to CO2 enrichment in the field are fragmentary, but they allow us to more clearly define research questions for further investigation. Three perspectives for analyzing the significance of root responses as a component of the overall response of the terrestrial biosphere to increasing atmospheric CO2 are suggested: (1) roots as a platform for nutrient acquisition and a mediator of whole-plant response to CO2; (2) carbon storage in roots as a component of whole-plant carbon storage; and (3) effects of CO2 enrichment on root turnover and the implications for carbon storage as soil organic matter. The relative importance of these different perspectives will vary depending on the ecosystem of interest and the larger-scale issues being considered.

Microbial-feeding nematodes and protozoa in soil: Their effectson microbial activity and nitrogen mineralization in decomposition hotspots and the rhizosphere

Abstract: Food web studies from a range of ecosystems have demonstrated that the fauna contributes about 30% of total net nitrogen mineralization. This results mainly from the activities of microbial-feeding microfauna (nematodes and protozoa). Microbial and microfaunal activity is concentrated at spatially discrete and heterogeneously distributed organic substrates, including the rhizosphere. The dynamics of microfauna and their effect on nutrient cycling and microbial processes at these sites is reviewed. The potential manipulation of microfauna, either as an experimental tool to further understand soil microbial ecology or as a practical means of managing nutrient flows in agroecosystems, is discussed.

The effects of whole-tree clear-cutting on soil processes at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, New Hampshire, USA

Abstract: The effects of whole-tree clear-cutting on soil processes and streamwater chemistry were examined in a northern hardwood forest at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, New Hampshire. Soil processes were examined by monitoring soil solution chemistry collected using zero-tension lysimeters from the Oa, Bh and Bs horizons at three sites along an elevational/vegetation gradient. Whole-tree clear-cutting created a severe ecosystem disturbance leading to leaching losses of nutrients from the soil profile, increased acidification, and elevated concentrations of Al-ions in soil solutions and streamwater. The response was driven by the process of nitrification that led to production of nitric acid in both the forest floor and mineral soil horizons. This acidity was largely neutralized by release and leaching of basic cations and inorganic monomeric Al-ions leaching with the NO3-ions. The major source of nutrient loss was from the forest floor. The chemical response to the clear-cut was most intense during the second year following the treatment and declined to near reference concentrations in 4–5 years. High elevation sites showed the greatest response to disturbance and the slowest recovery of soil solution concentrations to pre-cut concentrations. Shallow soils and a slower recovery of vegetation at the upper elevation sites were the primary factors contributing to the enhanced disturbance and delayed recovery (and enhanced response to disturbance in the upper elevation sites).

Decomposition of tree leaf litters grown under elevated CO2: Effect of litter quality

Abstract: Ash (Fraxinus excelsior L.), birch (Betula pubescens Ehrh.), sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus L.) and Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis (Bong.) Carr.) leaf litters were monitored for decomposition rates and nutrient release in a laboratory microcosm experiment. Litters were derived from solar domes where plants had been exposed to two different CO2 regimes: ambient (350 μL L-1 CO2) and enriched (600 μL L-1 CO2). Elevated CO2 significantly affected some of the major litter quality parameters, with lower N, higher lignin concentrations and higher ratios of C/N and lignin/N for litters derived from enriched CO2. Respiration rates of the deciduous species were significantly decreased for litters grown under elevated CO2, and reductions in mass loss at the end of the experiment were generally observed in litters derived from the 600 ppm CO2 treatment. Nutrient mineralization, dissolved organic carbon, and pH in microcosm leachates did not differ significantly between the two CO2 treatments for any of the species studied. Litter quality parameters were examined for correlations with cumulative respiration and decomposition rates: N concentration, C/N and lignin/N ratios showed the highest correlations, with differences between litter types. The results indicate that higher C storage will occur in soil as a consequence of litter quality changes resulting from higher atmospheric concentrations of CO2.

Enzymic degradation of phenolic materials in peatlands — measurement of phenol oxidase activity

Abstract: The model substrate L-dihydroxy phenylalanine (L-DOPA) was used to measure the activity of phenol-oxidase (PO) in peat from a Welsh riparian wetland. The sensitive and relatively simple technique measured the rate of formation of the red coloured compound 2-carboxy-2,3-dihydroindole-5,6-quinone from the enzymic oxidation of L-dopa. The method was used to test the hypothesis that the large exports of phenolic materials from peatlands into aquatic systems were caused by low phenolic-degrading enzyme activities within the peat matrix. The low oxygen availability and acidic pH of the peat soil were found to be sub-optimal for PO activity. Furthermore, a depth-dependent decline in PO activity was inversely correlated with phenolic concentrations. Thus, the findings supported the above hypothesis.

Root growth and nitrate utilization of maize cultivars under field conditions

Abstract: In a 2-year field study conducted on a high fertilized Gleyic Luvisol in Stuttgart-Hohenheim significant differences among 10 maize cultivars were observed in soil nitrate depletion. The different capability of the cultivars to utilize nitrate particularly from the subsoil was positively correlated with (a) shoot N uptake at maturity, and (b) root length density (Lv) in the subsoil layers at silking. “Critical root length densities” for nitrate uptake were estimated by (a) calculating uptake rates per unit root length (U), (b) subsequent calculation of needed nitrate concentration in soil solution (C1) to sustain calculated U according to the Baldwin formula, and (c) reducing measured Lv and proportionate increase of U until needed concentration equaled measured concentration. Uptake rate generally increased with soil depth. “Critical root length densities” for cultivar Brummi (high measured root length densities and soil nitrate depletion) at 60–90 cm depth ranged from 7 % (generative growth) to 28 % (vegetative growth) of measured Lv Measured root length density of each other cultivar was higher than “critical root length density” for Brummi indicating that the root system of each cultivar examined would have been able to ensure N uptake of Brummi. Positive relationships between root length density and nitrate utilization as indicated by correlation analysis therefore could not be explained by model calculations. This might be due to simplifying assumptions made in the model, which are in contrast to non-ideal uptake conditions in the field, namely irregular distribution of roots and nitrate in the soil, limited root/soil contact, and differences between root zones in uptake activity. It is concluded from the field experiment that growing of cultivars selected for high N uptake-capacity of the shoots combined with “high” root length densities in the subsoil may improve the utilization of a high soil nitrate supply.

Nitrogen release from prunings of legume hedgerow trees in relation to quality of the prunings and incubation method

Abstract: Three methods: litterbags, incubation of materials in pots and incubation in leaching-tubes, were compared to determine the effects of N, lignin and polyphenols of legume tree prunings on their decomposition and N release rates in a Red-yellow Podzolic soil (Ultisol). A protein-binding capacity assay was used to measure the content of active polyphenols in pruning materials in relation to their effect on decomposition. Prunings of Calliandra calothyrsus, Peltophorum pterocarpa, Gliricidia sepium, Leucaena leucocephala, and a mixture of Peltophorum and Gliricidia from an alley cropping experiment in Lampung, Indonesia, were used for the study. Decomposition and N release rates of the prunings were in the order Gliricidia > Leucaena > Calliandra > Peltophorum in all three incubation methods, however, the patterns of N release varied between incubation methods and species. The (lignin + polyphenol):N ratio was consistently among the best quality descriptions to predict weight losses and N released from the prunings in the litterbag and leaching-tube experiments but not in the pot experiment. In the latter the lack of a good correlation with quality factors maybe due to the presence of soluble polyphenols with a greater capacity to bind protein under non-leaching conditions.

Responses of soil biota to elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide

Abstract: Increasing concentrations of atmospheric CO2 could have dramatic effects upon terrestrial ecosystems including changes in ecosystem structure, nutrient cycling rates, net primary production, C source-sink relationships and successional patterns. All of these potential changes will be constrained to some degree by below ground processes and mediated by responses of soil biota to indirect effects of CO2 enrichment. A review of our current state of knowledge regarding responses of soil biota is presented, covering responses of mycorrhizae, N-fixing bacteria and actinomycetes, soil microbiota, plant pathogens, and soil fauna. Emphasis will be placed on consequences to biota of increasing C input through the rhizosphere and resulting feedbacks to above ground systems. Rising CO2 may also result in altered nutrient concentrations of plant litter, potentially changing decomposition rates through indirect effects upon decomposer communities. Thus, this review will also cover current information on decomposition of litter produced at elevated CO2.

Carbon translocation to the rhizosphere of maize and wheat and influence on the turnover of native soil organic matter at different soil nitrogen levels

Abstract: Wheat and maize were grown in a growth chamber with the atmospheric CO2 continuously labelled with 14C to study the translocation of assimilated carbon to the rhizosphere. Two different N levels in soil were applied. In maize 26–34% of the net assimilated 14C was translocated below ground, while in wheat higher values (40–58%) were found. However, due to the much higher shoot production in maize the total amount of carbon translocated below ground was similar to that of wheat. At high N relatively more of the C that was translocated to the root, was released into the soil due to increased root respiration and/or root exudation and subsequent microbial utilization and respiration. The evolution rate of unlabelled CO2 from the native soil organic matter decreased after about 25 days when wheat was grown at high N as compared to low N. This negative effect of high N in soil was not observed with maize.

Water transport across roots

Abstract: Usually, roots are looked at as rather perfect osmometers with the endodermis being the ‘root membrane’ which is equivalent to the plasma membrane of cells. However, this ‘single-equivalent-membrane model’ of the root does not explain the findings of a variable hydraulic resistance of roots as well as of differences between hydraulic and osmotic water flow and of low reflection coefficients of roots. Recent work with the root pressure probe is reviewed and discussed which indicates that the simple osmometer model of the root has to be extended by incorporating its composite structure, i.e. the fact that there are different parallel pathways for water in the root, namely, the cell-to-cell and apoplasmic path. The new ‘composite transport model of the root’ readily explains the experimental findings mentioned above. Pressure probe work with roots in which the endodermis was punctured to create an additional parallel path as well as anatomical studies support the model.

Phosphorus efficiency and the forms of soil phosphorus utilized by upland rice cultivars

Abstract: Experimental measurements of phosphorus (P) uptake and the forms of soil P depleted from an Ultisol by 6 upland rice cultivars are reported. In both P-fertilized and-unfertilized soil, the majority of P taken up was solubilized from a 0.1 M NaOH-soluble pool by root-induced changes. The soil pH within 4 mm of the roots was lowered by up to 0.5 units (from 4.6), but this by itself could not account for the P solubilized, and nor could increased phosphatase activity near the roots. The possible role of root-released low molecular weight organic acid anions in P solubilization is discussed. No significant differences in the extent of solubilization by a given root mass could be detected between cultivars. In P-unfertilized soil, but not in P-fertilized soil, there were significant differences between cultivars in ‘internal’ P efficiency as measured by shoot dry weight per unit total plant P. In unfertilized soil, root growth and P uptake were strongly correlated with the P content of the seeds from which the plants were grown.

Iron reductase systems on the plant plasma membrane-A review

Abstract: Higher plant roots, leaf mesophyll tissue, protoplasts as well as green algae are able to reduce extra-cellular ferricyanide and ferric chelates. In roots of dicotyledonous and nongraminaceous, monocotyledonous plants, the rate of ferric reduction is increased by iron deficiency. This reduction is an obligatory prerequisite for iron uptake and is mediated by redox systems localized on the plasma membrane. Plasma membrane-bound iron reductase systems catalyze the transmembrane electron transport from cytosolic reduced pyridine nucleotides to extracellular iron compounds. Natural and synthetic ferric complexes can act as electron acceptors. This paper gives an overview about the present knowledge on iron reductase systems at the plant plasma membrane with special emphasis on biochemical characteristics and localisation.

Nutrient transport in mycorrhizas: structure, physiology and consequences for efficiency of the symbiosis

Abstract: Nutrient transport in mycorrhizas occurs across specialized interfaces which are the result of corrdinated development of the organisms. The structural modifications give rise to large areas of either inter- or intra-cellular interface in which wall synthesis is frequently modified and in which altered distribution of membrane bound ATPases is important, particularly with respect to mechanisms that may be involved in bidirectional transfer of nutrients. Except in orchid mycorrhizas, net movement of organic carbon from plant to fungus occurs, complemented by mineral nutrient movement in the opposite direction. The general consensus is that sustained transfer at rates that will maintain the growth and development of the organisms requires increases in the rates at which nutrients are lost from the organisms; possible mechanisms for this are discussed. The transfer processes are essential in determining both plant and fungal productivity and an approach to calculating the efficiency of the symbiosis in terms of the expenditure of carbon (or of phosphorus) is discussed.

Nutrient availability in a montane wet tropical forest: Spatial patterns and methodological considerations

Abstract: Soils and forest floor were sampled quantitatively from a montane wet tropical forest in Puerto Rico to determine the spatial variability of soil nutrients, the factors controlling nutrient availability to vegetation, and the distribution of nutrients in soil and plants. Exchangeable cation concentrations were measured using different soil extracting procedures (fresh soil with NH4C1, air-dried and ground soil with KC1, and a Modified Olsen solution) to establish a range of nutrient availability in the soil, and to determine the relationship between different, but commonly used laboratory protocols. The availability of exchangeable Ca, Mg, and K was significantly lower in soils extracted fresh with NHaCI than from soils which were dried and ground prior to extraction with KCI or a modified Olsen solution. Soil nutrient availability generally decreased with depth in the soil. Several soil properties important to plant growth and survival varied predictably across the landscape and could be viewed in the context of a simple catena model. In the surface soils, exchangeable base cation concentrations and pH increased along a gradient from ridge tops to riparian valleys, while soil organic matter, exchangeable Fe and acidity decreased along this gradient. On the ridges, N, P, and K were positively correlated with soil organic matter; on slopes, N and P were positively correlated with organic matter, and Ca, Kg, and pH were negatively correlated with exchangeable Fe. Nutrient availability in the upper catena appears to be primarily controlled by biotic processes, particularly the accumulation of organic matter. The Ca, K, and P content of the vegetation was higher on ridges and slopes than in the valley positions. Periodic flooding and impeded drainage in the lower catena resulted in a more heterogeneous environment. A comparison of the Bisley, Puerto Rico soils with other tropical montane forests (TMF) revealed that the internal heterogeneity of soils in the Bisley Watersheds is similar to the range of average soil nutrient concentrations among TMF's for Ca, Mg, and K (dry/ground soils). Phosphorus tended to be slightly higher in Bisley and N was lower than in other TMFs.

Plant nutrient efficiency: A comparison of definitions and suggested improvement

Abstract: Selection of plant cultivars tolerant of low nutrient supply may increase productivity on low fertility soils and reduce fertilizer requirements. Considerable effort has been directed towards identifying ‘nutrient efficient’ species and germplasms, but the many different definitions for efficiency make the use of the term ambiguous. The concept of nutrient efficiency was evaluated using data from a study of differences in germplasm response to phosphorus (P) availability in white clover (Trifolium repens L.) and alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) grown in a sand-alumina culture. Application of various criteria identified in the literature as measures of nutrient efficiency did not clarify differences between purportedly P efficient and inefficient germplasms. Germplasms differed in maximum shoot and total dry mass and in solution P concentration required to achieve 80% maximum yield, but not in tissue P concentration, internal P utilization, or P uptake per unit of fine root dry mass. Differences may have resulted from factors other than efficient use of available P. To reduce the confounding effects that other factors have on nutrient efficiency, we propose that equivalent yields of germplasms be demonstrated where nutrients are not limiting. Mechanisms that enable enhanced nutrient efficiency can be identified less ambiguously using this improved approach.

Net nitrogen mineralization and net nitrification along a tropical forest-to-pasture chronosequence

Abstract: Soil inorganic nitrogen pools, net mineralization and net nitrification rates were compared during the dry season along a chronosequence of upland (terra firme) forest, 3-, 9- and 20-year-old pastures in the western Brazilian Amazon Basin state of Rondonia to investigate the influence of forest conversion to pasture on soil nitrogen cycles. Surface soil (0 to 10 cm) from forest had larger extractable inorganic nitrogen pools than pasture soils. In the forest, NO 3 − pools equaled or exceeded NH 4 + pools, while pasture inorganic N pools consisted almost exclusively of NH 4 + . Rates of net N mineralization and net nitrification in seven -day laboratory incubations were higher in the seven - day forest than in the pastures. Net N mineralization rates did not differ significantly among different-aged pastures, but net nitrification rates were significantly lower in the 20-year-old pasture. Higher net N mineralization and net nitrification rates were measured in laboratory and in situ incubations of sieved soil, compared with in situ incubations of intact soil cores. Rates calculated in seven-day incubations were higher than determined by longer incubations. Sieving may increase N mineralization and/or decrease N immobilization compared with intact cores. We concluded that 7-day laboratory incubation of sieved soil was the most useful index for comparing N availability across the chronosequence of forest and pasture sites. High net nitrification rates in forest soils suggest a potential for NO 3 − losses either through leaching or gaseous emissions.

Colonisation of wheat by VA-mycorrhizal fungi was found to be higher on a farm managed in an organic manner than on a conventional neighbour

Abstract: Levels of colonisation by vesicular-arbuscular (VA)-mycorrhizal fungi were compared between adjacent farms, one operated in a conventional manner and the other run according to organic farming principles. Wheat grown on the organic farm was found to have VA-mycorrhizal colonisation levels consistently 2 to 3 times higher than wheat on the conventional farm. Glasshouse and field trials indicated that the lower colonisation levels on the conventional farm were due to continual use of fertiliser containing soluble phosphorus (P). The fertiliser appeared to have an immediate negative effect on the rate of colonisation, and also appeared to have a long term negative effect through maintaining higher levels of soluble P in the soil, and by decreasing inoculum levels. Use of the relatively insoluble reactive rock phosphate fertiliser on the organic farm did not decrease levels of VA-mycorrhizas. Colonisation levels did not vary between wheat varieties, and herbicides and seed dressings were also not found to be having any significant effect on levels of colonisation.

A critical review of labelling techniques used to quantify rhizosphere carbon-flow

Abstract: The rhizosphere is a major sink for photo-assimilated carbon and quantifying inputs into this sink is one of the main goals of rhizosphere biology as organic carbon lost from plant roots supports a higher microbial population in the rhizosphere compared to bulk soil. Two fundamentally different14CO2 labelling strategies have been developed to estimate carbon fluxes through the rhizosphere — continuous feeding of shoots with labelled carbon dioxide and pulse-chase experiments. The biological interpretation that can be placed on the results of labelling experiments is greatly biased by the technique used. It is the purpose of this paper to assess the advantages, disadvantages and the biological interpretation of both continuous and pulse labelling and to consider how to partition carbon fluxes within the rhizosphere.