Influence of aluminum stress on shoot and root growth of contrasting genotypes of coleus

• Published in: Journal of plant nutrition Vol. 20; no. 9; pp. 1045 - 1060
• Main Authors: Krizek, D.T, Foy, C.D, Mirecki, R.M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia, NJ Taylor & Francis Group 01.01.1997; Taylor & Francis
• Subjects: ACID SOILS; ACIDEZ; ACIDITE; ACIDITY; Adaptation to environment and cultivation conditions; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; ALUMINIO; ALUMINIUM; Biological and medical sciences; CALCIO; CALCIUM; CALCIUM CARBONATE; CARBONATE DE CALCIUM; CARBONATO DE CALCIO; CHAULAGE; COLEUS; COLEUS BLUMEI; CONTENIDO DE MATERIA SECA; CONTENIDO MINERAL; CRECIMIENTO; CROISSANCE; CULTIVARS; CULTIVO SIN TIERRA; CULTURE SANS SOL; DRY MATTER ACCUMULATION; DRY MATTER CONTENT; ENCALADO; FITOTOXICIDAD; FOSFORO; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genetics and breeding of economic plants; GENOTIPOS; GENOTYPE; GENOTYPES; GROWTH; LIMING; METAL TOLERANCE; MINERAL CONTENT; NUTRIENT CONTENT; NUTRITIVE VALUE; PHOSPHORE; PHOSPHORUS; PHYTOTOXICITE; PHYTOTOXICITY; RACINE; RAICES; RESISTANCE AUX FACTEURS NUISIBLES; RESISTANCE TO INJURIOUS FACTORS; RESISTENCIA A AGENTES DANINOS; ROOTS; SOILLESS CULTURE; SOL ACIDE; SOUS SOL; STEMS; SUBSOIL; SUBSUELO; SUELO ACIDO; TALLO; TENEUR EN ELEMENTS MINERAUX; TENEUR EN MATIERE SECHE; TIGE; VALEUR NUTRITIVE; VALOR NUTRITIVO; VARIEDADES; Varietal selection. Specialized plant breeding, plant breeding aims; VARIETE; VARIETIES; Acid soil; Soilless cultivation; Nutrient solution; Genotype; Aluminium; Stress; Liming amendment; Phytotoxicity; Sensitivity resistance; Labiatae; Calcifugous plant; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Calcium carbonate; Spermatophyta; Coleus blumei; Ornamental foliage plant
• ISSN: 0190-4167; 1532-4087
• DOI: 10.1080/01904169709365317

Two cultivars of Coleus blumei Benth., found previously to differ in stress tolerance to UV-B radiation, water stress, and air pollutants--stress-tolerant 'Marty' ('M') and stress-sensitive 'Buckley Supreme' ('BS')--were grown in a greenhouse at Beltsville, MD in nutrient solutions containing 0 to 24 mg aluminum (Al) L-1 (Experiments I and II) and on an acid Al-toxic Tatum subsoil (clayey, mixed, thermic, Typic Hapludult) (Experiment III) at six lime levels, from 0 to 6,000 micrograms calcium carbonate (CaCO3) g-1 (pH 4.47 to 7.30 and percent Al saturations from 60 to 0) to characterize their possible genotypic differences in response to Al toxicity. Significant inhibitory effects of Al stress on shoot growth were generally observed in solution culture at 8 mg Al L-1 or higher, while inhibition of root growth in solution culture was generally observed at 16 mg L-1 or higher. At 16 and 24 mg Al L-1 (Experiment II), the relative dry weights of shoots and roots were reduced to about 60% of the control values in both cultivars. Leaf tissue concentrations of phosphorus (P) and Al were increased and calcium (Ca) was decreased at 24 mg Al L-1. Both cultivars of Coleus were extremely tolerant to Al stress, both in nutrient solution and in an acid Al-toxic Tatum subsoil. Thus, Coleus appears to be a calcifuge type plant, resembling azalea in its behavior. The lack of differential sensitivity to Al is in contrast to the responses of these cultivars to other environmental stresses such as drought, UV-B radiation, and air pollutants