Kinetics of potassium uptake in red spruce seedlings

Abstract

Potassium uptake by roots of 3-week-old red spruce (Picea rubens Sarg.) seedlings was measured in nutrient solutions ranging in K+ concentration from 0.01 to 10.0 mM. Nonlinear least squares analysis was used to estimate uptake parameters Vmax and Km. Analyses of residuals generated by several theoretical models of ion uptake were undertaken to choose the best mechanistic uptake model. Potassium absorption by red spruce seedlings was characterized by Michaelis–Menten behavior from K+ solutions in the range 0.01 to 1.0 mM. Above 1.0 mM, accumulation of potassium was most readily accounted for by a linear diffusive component superimposed on saturation kinetics. Uptake parameter values of Vmax = 1.17 μmol K∙g fresh weight−1∙h−1 and Km = 0.083 mM were similar to those reported for other species. The culture of seedlings in full-strength nutrient solution did not reduce the ability to resolve these uptake parameters in short-term experiments.