The Toxic Effect of Aluminium on Barley Plants in Relation to Ionic Composition of the Nutrient Solution

Abstract

The toxic effect of aluminium on barley plants in relation to ionic composition of the nutrient solution. 11. Soil solution studies. Received Jan. 21, 1985. Acta Agric Scand 35~271-277, 1985.Barley plants were grown in a pot experiment with trvo acid soils at three levels of saltlfertilizer applications and seven lime rates giving pH-values varying from 4.3 to above 7. Soil moisture samples were obtained by a suction method. Results of chemical analysis of soil extract taken two weeks after plant emergence were compared with barley yields.The percentage yields were in good accordance with the calculated Al-activities, assuming all Al in solution to be A13+. At the same lime level, the activity ratios (AI"31(Ca+hlg'R) in soil extracts decreased only slightly after addition of fertilizer salts, in spite of a 3-5 fold increase in Al concentration for soil A. High Ca-hlg concentrdtions markedly reduced the toxic effect of acidity, although the growth behavior did not agree fully with the calculated rdtios. Results from soil solution studies and a w t e r culture rAyrriment showed in both cases a barley yield depression of about 40-50% at calcJidted A13+ activities of O.OIX10-' hfA, although pH was one unit lower in water cblture. This indicates that aluminium nas the main cause of depressed growth of barley in these investigations.

Absorption of Vanadium, Nickel, Aluminum and Molybdenum by Swiss Chard Grown on Soil Amended With Oil Fly Ash or Bottom Ash

“…The absorption of nickel by plants decreases as soil pH increases (Hunter and Vergnano 1952). Aluminum is also phytotoxic to many plants (Ray and Robinson 1984;Uhlen 1985;Foy et al 1967) but usually only in acid soils. Molybdenum usually presents no problem of toxicity to plants (Agarwala et al 1978;Smith et al 1987).…”