Abstract
Root growth in Lupinus angustifolius is greatly decreased when the nutrient solution has a pH above 6.0. This study examined the water relations in this species (cv. Yandee) in response to high pH in solution culture in a glasshouse.
The dry weight of roots, the length of taproots and lateral roots and the number of lateral roots were significantly reduced at day 12 after transfer to solution with a pH of 7.5 compared to pH 5.2. This resulted in a marked reduction of total root surface area. However, shoot growth and total leaf area were not affected. In comparison with pH 5.2, plants grown at pH 7.5 in the nutrient solution had a 14–38% more-negative leaf water potential, and their stomatal resistance had increased by 67%.
The observations indicate that the impairment of the water relations by high pH is mainly caused by decreased root growth.
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Tang C, Robson A D, Longnecker N E and Greenway H 1993b this volume.
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Tang, C., Cobley, B.T., Mokhtara, S. et al. High pH in the nutrient solution impairs water uptake in Lupinus angustifolius L.. Plant Soil 155, 517–519 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00025097
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00025097