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Some environmental factors influencing radiostrontium uptake by plants

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Summary

The amounts of Sr90 taken up from Vina soil varied among several different crop plants by a factor as high as 10 on the basis of dry weight. The relative decreasing order of Sr90 uptake by mature plant tops was turnip = millet > Swiss chard > Ladino clover > broccoli > soybeans > barley > oats > wheat > spinach. For each of the cereal crops, the concentration of Sr90 in the grain was only about one-fifth of the Sr90 in the forage. The tubers of White Rose potato grown on Sassafras, Hanford and Sorrento soils contained only about one-fiftieth of the Sr90 concentrated in the tops. The Sr90 uptake by potato was inversely correlated with the level of plant-available calcium in Sassafras, Hanford and Sorrento soils.

Lowering of root temperature from 17° to 7°C significantly reduced Sr90 uptake by barley and beans during a 24-hour absorption period. Q10 values indicated that strontium uptake was chemically controlled rather than the result of physical phenomena.

A decrease in light intensity from 1,000 to 450 foot-candle significantly reduced Sr90 uptake by barley and beans. The uptake of Sr90 also was reduced as the light exposure period was decreased. One-third to one-half of the total amount of Sr90 obtained during a 24-hour absorption period was taken up independent of exposure to light.

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Author notes

  1. W. L. Ehrler

    Present address: U. S. Salinity Laboratory, Riverside, California

  2. A. H. Lange

    Present address: Pineapple Research Institute, Honolulu, Hawaii

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department and Laboratories of Nuclear Medicine and Radiation Biology, School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, USA

    E. M. Romney, W. L. Ehrler, A. H. Lange & K. H. Larson

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  1. E. M. Romney
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  2. W. L. Ehrler
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  3. A. H. Lange
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  4. K. H. Larson
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Additional information

These studies were supported by Contract AT(04-1)-GEN-12 between the Atomic Energy Commission and the University of California.

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Romney, E.M., Ehrler, W.L., Lange, A.H. et al. Some environmental factors influencing radiostrontium uptake by plants. Plant Soil 12, 41–48 (1960). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01377759

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01377759

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