Moderate sodium has positive effects on shoots but not roots of salt-tolerant barley grown in a potassium-deficient sandy soil
Qifu Ma A C , Richard Bell A and Ross Brennan B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A School of Environmental Science, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia.
B Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia, Albany Regional Office, Albany, WA 6330, Australia.
C Corresponding author. Email: Q.Ma@murdoch.edu.au
Crop and Pasture Science 62(11) 972-981 https://doi.org/10.1071/CP11162
Submitted: 24 June 2011 Accepted: 29 October 2011 Published: 21 December 2011
Abstract
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.
Additional keywords: K and Na uptake, K by Na substitution, shoot and root growth.
References
Anderson WK, French RJ, Seymour M (1992) Yield responses of wheat and other crops to agronomic practices on duplex soils compared with other soils in Western Australia. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 32, 963–970.| Yield responses of wheat and other crops to agronomic practices on duplex soils compared with other soils in Western Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Blair GJ, Chinoim N, Lefroy RDB, Anderson GC, Crocker GJ (1991) A soil sulphur test for pastures and crops. Australian Journal of Soil Research 29, 619–626.
| A soil sulphur test for pastures and crops.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DyaK3MXmsFGjtr4%3D&md5=80ead6d02c192f3507baafe240e1021dCAS |
Blumwald E, Aharon GS, Apse MP (2000) Sodium transport in plant cells. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta 1465, 140–151.
| Sodium transport in plant cells.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD3cXit1Wgtrs%3D&md5=b19d0c20277007f82b660a156839e1f9CAS |
Botella MA, Martinez V, Pardines J, Cerda A (1997) Salinity induced potassium deficiency in maize plants. Journal of Plant Physiology 150, 200–205.
Brennan RF, Bolland MDA, Bowden JW (2004) Potassium deficiency, and molybdenum deficiency and aluminium toxicity due to soil acidification, have become problems for cropping sandy soils in southwestern Australia. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 44, 1031–1039.
| Potassium deficiency, and molybdenum deficiency and aluminium toxicity due to soil acidification, have become problems for cropping sandy soils in southwestern Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD2cXhtVaisrnF&md5=105fd6dedca9b1a78781ebcb6ebccb66CAS |
Chen Z, Zhou M, Newman IA, Mendham NJ, Zhang G, Shabala S (2007) Potassium and sodium relations in salinised barley tissues as a basis of differential salt tolerance. Functional Plant Biology 34, 150–162.
| Potassium and sodium relations in salinised barley tissues as a basis of differential salt tolerance.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD2sXhs1yqsbk%3D&md5=36bfb4217a5f26bbe024d083cbfd99f0CAS |
Clarke CJ, George RJ, Bell RW, Hatton TJ (2002) Dryland salinity in south-western Australia: its origins, remedies, and future research directions. Australian Journal of Soil Research 40, 93–113.
| Dryland salinity in south-western Australia: its origins, remedies, and future research directions.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Colwell JD (1963) The estimation of the phosphorus fertiliser requirements of wheat in southern New South Wales by soil analysis. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture and Animal Husbandry 3, 190–198.
| The estimation of the phosphorus fertiliser requirements of wheat in southern New South Wales by soil analysis.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DyaF2cXnvVOhsQ%3D%3D&md5=6acf27613a1f26df2150f78164c983b5CAS |
Edwards N (1997) Potassium fertilizer improves wheat yield and grain quality on duplex soils. In ‘Proceedings of the 1st Workshop on Potassium in Australian Agriculture’. (Ed. MTF Wong) pp. 69–75. (UWA Press: Perth, W. Aust.)
Epstein E, Bloom AJ (2005) ‘Mineral nutrition of plants: principles and perspectives.’ 2nd edn (Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Sunderland, MA)
Figdore SS, Gabelman WH, Gerloff GC (1987) The accumulation and distribution of sodium in tomato strains differing in potassium efficiency when grown under low-K stress. Plant and Soil 99, 85–92.
| The accumulation and distribution of sodium in tomato strains differing in potassium efficiency when grown under low-K stress.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DyaL2sXkvFGqsLk%3D&md5=149322f4e9b1ce16e82b811e3492233cCAS |
Figdore SS, Gabelman WH, Gerloff GC (1989) Inheritance of potassium efficiency, sodium substitution capacity, and sodium accumulation in tomatoes grown under low-potassium stress. Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science 114, 322–327.
Genc Y, McDonald GK, Tester M (2007) Reassessment of tissue Na+ concentration as a criterion for salinity tolerance in bread wheat. Plant, Cell & Environment 30, 1486–1498.
| Reassessment of tissue Na+ concentration as a criterion for salinity tolerance in bread wheat.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD2sXht1yhsrbE&md5=f964d4a2a6b6e2b70d4dc037c091c955CAS |
Hafsi C, Lakhdhar A, Rabhi M, Debez A, Abdelly C, Ouerghi Z (2007) Interactive effects of salinity and potassium availability on growth, water status, and ionic composition of Hordeum maritimum. Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science 170, 469–473.
| Interactive effects of salinity and potassium availability on growth, water status, and ionic composition of Hordeum maritimum.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD2sXpvFCru7s%3D&md5=393a83cd4f6c6bc7ee4547ba16195b86CAS |
Leach BJ (1981) Potassium deficiency with continuous cropping of wheat on sandplain soils. Our Land 13, 11–14.
Maathuis FJM, Amtmann A (1999) K+ nutrition and Na+ toxicity: the basis of cellular K+/Na+ ratios. Annals of Botany 84, 123–133.
| K+ nutrition and Na+ toxicity: the basis of cellular K+/Na+ ratios.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DyaK1MXltVCgtL4%3D&md5=17069e912c52c4b146e1c059541b558eCAS |
Marschner H (1995) ‘Mineral nutrition of higher plants.’ 2nd edn (Academic Press: London)
Marschner H, Kuiper PJC, Kylin A (1981) Genotypic differences in the response of sugar beet plants to replacement of potassium by sodium. Physiologia Plantarum 51, 239–244.
| Genotypic differences in the response of sugar beet plants to replacement of potassium by sodium.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DyaL3MXhtFOqtb8%3D&md5=09d22478245607c654b2d7fcfc8d2e39CAS |
McArthur WM (2004) ‘Reference soils of south-western Australia, 2004.’ Reprint. (Australian Soil Science Society of Australia Inc., WA Branch: Perth, W. Aust.)
Mengel K, Kirkby EA (2001) ‘Principles of plant nutrition.’ 5th edn (Kluwer Academic Publishers: Dordrecht, The Netherlands)
Pal Y, Gilkes RJ, Wong MTF (2001) Soil factors affecting the availability of potassium to plants for Western Australian soils: a glasshouse study. Australian Journal of Soil Research 39, 611–625.
| Soil factors affecting the availability of potassium to plants for Western Australian soils: a glasshouse study.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD3MXks1KqtLk%3D&md5=18d37e2c0f249449f1779beb644c2623CAS |
Rayment GE, Lyons DJ (2010) ‘Soil chemical methods: Australasia.’ Australian Soil and Land Survey Handbooks Series. (CSIRO Publishing: Melbourne)
Römheld V, Kirkby EA (2010) Research on potassium in agriculture: needs and prospects. Plant and Soil 335, 155–180.
| Research on potassium in agriculture: needs and prospects.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Searle PL (1984) The Berthelot or indophenol reaction and its use in the analytical chemistry of nitrogen – a review. Analyst 109, 549–568.
| The Berthelot or indophenol reaction and its use in the analytical chemistry of nitrogen – a review.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DyaL2cXlsVartbk%3D&md5=b1bd75522db6d8d33db7dc1b3787e734CAS |
Sen Gupta A, Berkowitz GA, Pier PA (1989) Maintenance of photosynthesis at low leaf water potential in wheat. Role of potassium status and irrigation history. Plant Physiology 89, 1358–1365.
| Maintenance of photosynthesis at low leaf water potential in wheat. Role of potassium status and irrigation history.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Shabala S, Cuin TA (2008) Potassium transport and plant salt tolerance. Physiologia Plantarum 133, 651–669.
| Potassium transport and plant salt tolerance.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD1cXps1Oit70%3D&md5=05830e076394ba17556fa04d233b1240CAS |
Subbarao GV, Wheeler RM, Stutte GW, Levine LH (1999) How far can sodium substitute for potassium in red beet? Journal of Plant Nutrition 22, 1745–1761.
| How far can sodium substitute for potassium in red beet?Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DyaK1MXmslWksLs%3D&md5=1b445c744ff5ab741d9929e006a22608CAS |
Subbarao GV, Wheeler RM, Stutte GW (2000) Feasibilities of substituting sodium for potassium in crop plants for advanced life support system. Life Support & Biosphere Science 7, 225–232.
Taha R, Mills D, Heimer Y, Tal M (2000) The relation between low K+/Na+ ratio and salt-tolerance in the wild tomato species Lycopersicon pennellii. Journal of Plant Physiology 157, 59–64.
Tajbakhsh M, Zhou MX, Chen ZH, Mendham NJ (2006) Physiological and cytological response of salt-tolerant and non-tolerant barley to salinity during germination and early growth. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 46, 555–562.
| Physiological and cytological response of salt-tolerant and non-tolerant barley to salinity during germination and early growth.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Tavakkoli E, Rengasamy P, McDonald GK (2010) The response of barley to salinity stress differs between hydroponics and soil systems. Functional Plant Biology 37, 621–633.
| The response of barley to salinity stress differs between hydroponics and soil systems.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Tavakkoli E, Fatehi F, Coventry S, Rengasamy P, McDonald GK (2011) Additive effects of Na+ and Cl– ions on barley growth under salinity stress. Journal of Experimental Botany 62, 2189–2203.
| Additive effects of Na+ and Cl– ions on barley growth under salinity stress.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BC3MXjsFyju74%3D&md5=1951ab7074dca9bc5614ae898c039f93CAS |
Wakeel A, Abd-EI-Motagally F, Steffens D, Schubert S (2009) Sodium-induced calcium deficiency in sugar beet during substitution of potassium by sodium. Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science 172, 254–260.
| Sodium-induced calcium deficiency in sugar beet during substitution of potassium by sodium.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD1MXlt1yhtLg%3D&md5=e7bbfea93575995605a35e89dc1211afCAS |
Wakeel A, Steffens D, Schubert S (2010) Potassium substitution by sodium in sugar beet (Beta vulgaris) nutrition on K-fixing soils. Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science 173, 127–134.
| Potassium substitution by sodium in sugar beet (Beta vulgaris) nutrition on K-fixing soils.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BC3cXhvFGju74%3D&md5=fddc632ee0be62b604dc0db32cce4bbfCAS |
Walkley A, Black IA (1934) An examination of the Degtjareff method for determining soil organic matter and a proposed modification of the chromic acid titration method. Soil Science 37, 29–38.
| An examination of the Degtjareff method for determining soil organic matter and a proposed modification of the chromic acid titration method.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DyaA2cXitlGmug%3D%3D&md5=6ad5da49668edf8c6aa023d416d2a716CAS |
