Register      Login
Crop and Pasture Science Crop and Pasture Science Society
Plant sciences, sustainable farming systems and food quality
Shopping Cart: ( empty )
You are here: Home > Journals > CP > AR04302
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 57(7)

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

Eun-Young Choi A C , Ann McNeill A , David Coventry A and James Stangoulis B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Soil and Land Systems, The University of Adelaide, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Roseworthy Campus, SA 5371, Australia.

B Plant and Pest Science, The University of Adelaide, School of Agriculture and Wine, Waite Campus, Glen Osmond, SA 5064, Australia.

C Corresponding author. Email: eunyoung.choi@adelaide.edu.au

Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 57(7) 761-770 https://doi.org/10.1071/AR04302
Submitted: 8 December 2004  Accepted: 25 January 2006   Published: 14 July 2006

Abstract

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.

Additional keywords: boron toxicity, boron tolerance, water use.


Acknowledgments

This research was supported by an Australian Commonwealth Government funded scholarship to the principal author. We also gratefully appreciate the assistance of Dr Rob Davidson for root scanning, Penny Day for root washing, and Lyndon Palmer and Teresa Fowles at Waite Analytical Services for advice on plant tissue sampling.


References


Bell RW (1999) Boron. In ‘Soil analysis: an interpretation manual’. (Eds KI Pererill, LA Sparrow, DJ Reuter) pp. 309–316. (CSIRO Publishing: Melbourne)

Bellaloui N, Brown PH (1998) Cultivar differences in boron uptake and distribution in celery (Apium graveolens), tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) and wheat (Triticum aestivum). Plant and Soil 198, 153–158.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Bergersen FJ (1980) Measurements of nitrogen fixation by direct means. In ‘Methods for evaluating biological nitrogen fixation’. (Ed. FJ Bergersen) pp. 65–110. (Wiley-InterScience)

Cartwright B, Zarcinas BA, Mayfield AH (1984) Toxic concentrations of boron in a red-brown earth at Gladstone, South Australia. Australian Journal of Soil Research 22, 261–272.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Cartwright B, Zarcinas BA, Spouncer LR (1986) Boron toxicity in South Australian barley crops. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 37, 351–359.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Chantachume Y, Smith D, Hollamby GJ, Paull JG, Rathjen AJ (1995) Screening for boron tolerance in wheat (T. aestivum) by solution culture in filter paper. Plant and Soil 177, 249–254.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Coventry DR , Holloway RE , Cummins JA (1998) Farming fragile environments: low rainfall and difficult soils in South Australia. In ‘Proceedings of the 9th Australian Agronomy Conference’. Wagga Wagga, NSW. pp. 107–116. (Australian Society of Agronomy)

Grieve CM, Poss JA (2000) Wheat response to interactive effects of boron and salinity. Journal of Plant Nutrition 23, 1217–1226. open url image1

Holloway RE, Alston AM (1992) The effects of salt and boron on growth of wheat. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 43, 987–1001.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Isbell RF (1996) ‘The Australian Soil Classification.’ (CSIRO Publishing: Melbourne)

Jefferies SP, Barr AR, Karakousis A, Kretschmer JM, Manning S, Chalmers KJ, Nelson JC, Islam AKMR, Langride P (1999) Mapping of chromosome regions conferring boron toxicity tolerance in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). Theoretical and Applied Genetics 98, 1293–1303.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Klein RM, Brown SJ (1982) Effect of borate excess and calcium ion on mitosis of pea rot-tip meristem cells. Environmental and Experimental Botany 22, 199–202.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Lane P , Galway N , Alvey N (1988) ‘Genstat 5: an introduction.’ (Oxford University Press: Oxford, UK)

Liu D, Jiang W, Zhang L, Li L (2000) Effects of boron ions on root growth and cell division of broadbean (Vicia Faba L.). Israel Journal of Plant Sciences 48, 47–51.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

McNairn RB, Currier HB (1965) The influence of boron on callose formation in primary leaves of Phaseolus vulgaris L. Phyton 22, 153–158. open url image1

Moody DB , Rathjen AJ , Cartwright B (1993) Yield evaluation of a gene for boron tolerance using backcross-derived lines. In ‘Genetic aspects of mineral nutrition.’ (Eds PJ Randall et al.) pp. 363–366. (Kluwer Academic Publishers: The Netherlands)

Nable RO (1988) Resistance to boron toxicity amongst several barley and wheat cultivars: A preliminary examination of the resistance mechanism. Plant and Soil 112, 45–52.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Nable RO, Bañuelos GS, Paull JG (1997) Boron toxicity. Plant and Soil 193, 181–198.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Nuttall JG, Armstrong RD, Connor DJ (2003b) Evaluating physicochemical constraints of Calcarosols on wheat yield in the Victorian southern Mallee. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 54, 487–497.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Nuttall JG, Armstrong RD, Connor DJ, Matassa VJ (2003a) Interrelationships between edaphic factors potentially limiting cereal growth on alkaline soils in north-western Victoria. Australian Journal of Soil Research 41, 277–292.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Oertli JJ (1962) Loss of boron from plants through guttation. Soil Science 94, 214–219. open url image1

Passioura JB (1976) Physiology of grain yield in wheat growing on stored water. Australian Journal of Plant Physiology 3, 559–565. open url image1

Passioura JB (2004) Increasing crop productivity when water is scarce — from breeding to field management. In ‘New directions for a diverse planet. Proceedings of the 4th International Crop Science Congress’. 26 Sep.–1 Oct. 2004, Brisbane, Australia. (Published on CD-ROM) Website: www.regional.org.au/au/cs

Paull JG, Nable RO, Lake AWH, Rathjen AJ, Materne MA (1992) Response of annual medics (Medicago spp.) and field peas (Pisum sativum) to high concentration of boron; genetic variation and mechanisms of tolerance. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 43, 203–213.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Picchioni GA, Miyamoto S, Storey JB (1991) Boron uptake and effects on growth and carbohydrate partitioning of pistachio seedlings. Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science 116, 706–711. open url image1

Reuter DJ , Edwards DG , Wilhelm NS (1997) Temperate and tropical crops. In ‘Plant analysis: an interpretation manual’. (Eds DJ Reuter, JB Robinson) pp. 283–284. (CSIRO Publishing: Melbourne)

Richner M , Liedgens M , Burgi H , Soldati A , Stamp P (2000) Root image analysis and interpretation. In ‘Root methods: A handbook’. (Ed. AL Smit) pp. 305–342 (Springer: New York)

Ryan J, Singh M, Yau SK (1998) Spatial variability of soluble boron in Syrian soils. Soil and Tillage Research 45, 407–417.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Sadras VO, Baldock J, Roget DK, Rodriguez D (2003) Measuring and modelling yield and water budget components of wheat crops in coarse-textured soils with chemical constraints. Field Crop Research 84, 241–260.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Sadras VO, Roget DK, O’Leary GJ (2002) On-farm assessment of environmental and management constraints to wheat yield and efficiency in the use of rainfall in the Mallee. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 53, 587–598.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Stangoulis JCR , Reid RJ (2002) Boron toxicity in plants and animals. In ‘Boron in plant and animal nutrition’. (Eds HE Goldbach et al.) pp. 1–12. (Kluwer Academic Publishers: New York)

Yau SK (2001) Terminal drought and subsoil boron on barley root growth and water use-an examination of possible interactions. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis 32, 379–387.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Yau SK (2002) Interactions of boron-toxicity, drought, and genotypes on barley root growth, yield, and other agronomic characters. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 53, 347–354.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1