Uptake, Movement and Transfer of Rb, S, Cl and Fe Through Stolonaceous Plants as Affected by Moisture Stress

Abstract

AbstractThe movement of Rb, S, Cl, and Fe through a series of plants connected by segments of a single parent stolon as affected by moisture stress and the transfer of Rb, S, and Cl from one plant to another when their roots were growing together in the same pot was studied for St. Augustine grass (Stenotaphrum secundatum Walt Kuntze, var. ‘Floratine’).Approximately one‐fourth of the Rb and S and one‐half of the Cl taken up by the plants from the soil moved through stolons to other plants.When two series of pots were arranged so that the middle plant of each had root systems in the same pot, differential moisture treatments on one stolon affected the ratio between total movement and uptake for Rb and S and to a lesser extent Cl in the system. This ratio was less or greater than normal when the water supply was excessive or deficient, respectively. The direction of movement was always towards the youngest plant in series.Rubidium, S, and Cl moved out of one plant into another growing in the same pot and then through stolons to additional plants. Stress conditions on the receptor stolon did not affect movement of the three elements to the same degree.The uptake Fe from FeCl3, Fe2O3, FeSO4, and FeCO3 was very low amounting to 2.35, 0.70, 0.083, and 0.070%, respectively. For FeCl3 the low percentage recovery was attributed to relatively high soil Fe and fixation. For the others it was probably due to low solubility. Uptake was so low for FeSO4 that movement through stolons was difficult to measure. However for FeCl3, Fe2O3, and FeCO3 movement was dominantly towards new growth in every case similar to Rb, S, and Cl Absorption of Fe from the plant material into the bodies of rabbits seemed to be independent of source.