Publication Date:
1969-02-01
Description:
The free amino acids and the total ninhydrin-reacting material found in the rhizosphere of plants grown under field conditions were compared with those in the nonrhizosphere soil and with root extracts. Water, 20% ethanol and carbon tetrachloride-water were used as extractants. While the last two removed more amino acids than the water, this was probably the result of partial decomposition of the cellular material of the soil. The use of water as an extractant should give a better measure of the amount of amino acids in the soil under natural conditions. The rhizosphere contained greater quantities of amino acids than the soil from outside this zone. In general, the most prominent amino acids were aspartic acid, threonine, serine, glutamic acid, glycine and alanine; asparagine, glutamine and citrulline were also present. The amino acid content of the rhizosphere varied with the plant. Although root extracts contained very large quantities of amino acids, comparison of these extracts with the rhizosphere showed distinct differences in amino acid ratios, suggesting that the amino acids in the rhizosphere were not primarily the result of root-debris autolysis during the extraction procedure.
Print ISSN:
0008-4271
Electronic ISSN:
1918-1841
Topics:
Geosciences
,
Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition
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