Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The effect of sodicity on cotton: plant response to solutions containing high sodium concentrations

  • Regular Article
  • Published:
Plant and Soil Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Solution culture was used to investigate whether the high solution Na concentrations and Na:Ca ratios found in sodic soils could directly affect the early growth and nutrient uptake of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.). Cotton was grown in nutrient solutions with three Na:Ca ratios (46:1, 4:1 and 0.2:1 mM) and three electrical conductivities (EC) (2.5, 4.25 and 6 dS m−1) combined in a factorial design with four replicates. Most cotton growth parameters (including shoot and root dry weight, fruit number and weight) were unaffected by increasing solution EC or Na:Ca ratio, but at the highest Na concentration (56.6 mM), plant height was reduced. It was concluded that young cotton has the ability to tolerate solution Na concentrations up to those found in moderately sodic soils. Increasing solution Na:Ca increased plant root and shoot concentrations and plant accumulation for Na, and decreased them for Ca. Increasing EC also increased plant Na concentration and accumulation. Shoot K and P concentrations decreased with EC, but actually increased as the sodicity (Na:Ca ratio) of the nutrient solution increased. The results suggest that the low K and P concentrations commonly found in cotton grown in sodic soils are not a direct result of Na:Ca ratio in the soil solution.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abrol IP, Bhumbla DK (1979) Crop response to differential gypsum applications in a highly sodic soil and the tolerance of several crops to exchangeable sodium under field conditions. Soil Sci 127:79–85

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Anderson DL, Henderson LJ (1986) Sealed chamber digest for plant nutrient analysis. Agron J 78:937–938

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ben-Hayyim G, Kafkafi U, Gahmore-Newman R (1987) The role of internal potassium in maintaining growth of cultured Citrus cells on increasing NaCl and CaCl2 concentrations. Plant Physiol 83:434–439

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blair LM, Taylor GJ (2004) Maintaining exponential growth, solution conductivity and solution pH in low ionic strength solution culture using a computer-controlled nutrient delivery system. J Exp Bot 55:1557–1567

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Boursier PJ, Lauchli A (1990) Growth responses and mineral relations of salt-stressed sorghum. Crop Sci 30:1226–1233

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Clark LJ, Whalley WR, Barraclough PB (2003) How do roots penetrate strong soil? Plant Soil 255:93–104

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cornish PS, So HB, McWilliam JR (1984) Effects of soil bulk density and water regime on root growth and uptake of phosphorus by ryegrass. Aust J Exp Agric 35:631–644

    Google Scholar 

  • Cramer GR, Lauchli A, Polito VS (1985) Displacement of Ca2+ by Na+ from the plasmalemma of root cells. Plant Physiol 79:207–211

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cramer GR, Lauchli A, Epstein E (1986) Effects of NaCl and CaCl2 on ion activities in complex nutrient solutions and root growth of cotton. Plant Physiol 81:792–797

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cramer GR, Lynch J, Lauchli A, Epstein E (1987) Influx of Na+, K+ and Ca2+ into roots of salt-stressed cotton seedlings. Plant Physiol 83:510–516

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Curtin D, Selles F, Steppuhn H (1992) Influence of salt concentration and sodicity on the solubility of phosphate in soils. Soil Sci 153:409–416

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dang Y, Dalal R, Harms B, Routley R, Kelly R, McDonald M (2004) Subsoil constraints in the grain cropping soils of Queensland. In Supersoil 2004: Proceedings of the 3rd Australian New Zealand Soils Conference. Ed. Singh B. The Regional Institute Ltd, Sydney.

  • Dodd K (2007) Characterising the soil and plant interactions that affect the growth and nutrition of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) in sodic Vertosols. Dissertation, University of New England, Australia.

  • Dodd K, Guppy C N, Lockwood P V (2010) Overcoming the confounding effects of salinity on sodic soil research. Commun Soil Sci Plant Anal (In press)

  • Drew MC, Dikumwin E (1985) Sodium exclusion from the shoots by roots of Zea mays (cultivar LG 11) and its breakdown with oxygen deficiency. J Exp Bot 36:55–62

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Epstein E (1961) The essential role of calcium in selective cation transport by plant cells. Plant Physiol 36:437–444

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gupta RK, Singh RR, Tanji KK (1990) Phosphorus release in sodium dominated soils. Soil Sci Soc Am J 54:1254–1260

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Isbell RF (2002) The Australian soil classification, Revth edn. CSIRO, Collingwood

    Google Scholar 

  • Jayawardane NS, Chan KY (1994) The management of soil physical properties limiting crop production in Australian sodic soils: a review. Aust J Soil Res 32:13–44

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kent IM, Lauchli A (1985) Germination and seedling growth of cotton: salinity-calcium interactions. Plant Cell Environ 8:155–159

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kinraide TB (1999) Interactions among Ca2+, Na+ and K+ in salinity toxicity: quantitative resolution of multiple toxic and ameliorative effects. J Exp Bot 50:1495–1505

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kuchenbuch R, Claassen N, Jungk A (1986) Potassium availability in relation to soil moisture. Plant Soil 95:221–231

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kurth E, Cramer GR, Lauchli A, Epstein E (1986) Effects of NaCl and CaCl2 on cell enlargement and cell production in cotton roots. Plant Physiol 82:1102–1106

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lauchli A, Stelter W (1982) Salt tolerance of cotton genotypes in relation to K/Na selectivity. In: San Pietro A (ed) International Workshop on Biosaline Research, 2nd edn. Plenum, New York, La Paz, Mexico, pp 511–514

    Google Scholar 

  • Leidi EO, Saiz JF (1997) Is salinity tolerance related to Na accumulation in upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) seedlings? Plant Soil 190:67–75

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Letey J, Stolzy LH, Blank GB (1962) Effect of duration and timing of low soil oxygen content on shoot and root growth. Agron J 54:34–37

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maas EV, Hoffman GJ (1977) Crop salt tolerance—current assessment. ASCE J Irrig Drain Div 103:115–134

    Google Scholar 

  • Maser P, Gierth M, Schroeder JI (2002) Molecular mechanisms of potassium and sodium uptake in plants. Plant Soil 247:43–54

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Massa D, Mattson NS, Lieth HJ (2009) Effects of saline root environment (NaCl) on nitrate and potassium uptake kinetics for rose plants: a Michaelis-Menten modelling approach. Plant Soil 318:101–115

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • McKenzie DC (1998) SOILpak for cotton growers, 3rd edn. NSW Agriculture, Orange

    Google Scholar 

  • McLeod I G (2001) The effect of waterlogging and ion interactions on the development of premature senescence in irrigated cotton. Dissertation, University of New England, Australia.

  • Munns R (1993) Physiological processes limiting plant growth in saline soils: some dogmas and hypotheses. Plant Cell Environ 16:15–24

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Naidu R, Rengasamy P, de Lacy NJ, Zarcinas BA (1995) Soil solution composition of some sodic soils. In: Naidu R, Sumner ME, Rengasamy P (eds) Australian sodic soils: Distribution, properties and management. CSIRO, Melbourne, pp 155–161

    Google Scholar 

  • Nakamura Y, Tanaka K, Ohta E, Sakata M (1990) Protective effect of external Ca2+ on elongation and the intracellular concentration of K+ in intact mung bean roots under high NaCl stress. Plant Cell Physiol 31:815–821

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • NLWRA (2002) National Land and Water Resources Audit. Ed. Australia Co. Commonwealth of Australia, A.C.T.

  • Norrish K, Cornish P S, Moody P W, Jessop R S, Rummery G (2001) Soil fertility and wheat crop response to phosphorus fertiliser on Vertosols in low rainfall areas of the northern grain zone. In Proceedings of the 10th Australian Agronomy Conference. Australian Society of Agronomy, Hobart.

  • Payne RW (1987) Genstat 5 Reference Manual. Clarendon, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Reid JR, Smith FA (2000) The limits of sodium/calcium interactions in plant growth. Aust J Plant Physiol 27:709–715

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rengasamy P, Olsson KA (1993) Irrigation and sodicity. Aust J Soil Res 31:821–837

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Reuter DJ, Robinson JB (1986) Plant Analysis: An Interpretation Manual. Inkata, Melbourne

    Google Scholar 

  • Schecher W D, McAvoy D C (2003) MINEQL+: A chemical equilibrium modeling system, Version 4.5 for Windows. Environmental Research Software, Hallowell, Maine.

  • So H B, Kopittke P M, Menzies N W, Bigwood R C (2004) Measurement of exchangeable cations in saline soils. In Supersoil 2004: Proceedings of the 3rd Australian New Zealand Soils Conference. Ed. Singh B. The Regional Institute Ltd, University of Sydney, Australia.

  • Soil Survey Staff (2003) Keys to Soil Taxonomy, 8th edn. United States Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service, USA

    Google Scholar 

  • Wu Y, Hu Y, Xu G (2009) Interactive effects of potassium and sodium on root growth and expression of K/Na transporter genes in rice. Plant Growth Regulation 57:271–280

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhong H, Lauchli A (1993) Spatial and temporal aspects of growth in the primary root of cotton seedlings: effects of NaCl and CaCl2. J Exp Bot 44:763–771

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgement

This research was supported by funding from the Australian Cotton Catchment Communities Cooperative Research Centre.

Author information

Author notes

  1. Kylie Dodd

    Present address: Environmental Resources Management, PO Box 9, Broadway, New South Wales, 2000, Australia

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales, 2351, Australia

    Kylie Dodd, Christopher Guppy & Peter Lockwood

  2. CSIRO Plant Industry, Locked Bag 59, Narrabri, New South Wales, 2390, Australia

    Ian Rochester

Authors
  1. Kylie Dodd
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Christopher Guppy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Peter Lockwood
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Ian Rochester
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Peter Lockwood.

Additional information

Responsible Editor: Timothy J. Flowers.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Dodd, K., Guppy, C., Lockwood, P. et al. The effect of sodicity on cotton: plant response to solutions containing high sodium concentrations. Plant Soil 330, 239–249 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-009-0196-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-009-0196-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation