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Hormones and root-shoot relationships in flooded plants — an analysis of methods and results

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Structure and Function of Roots

Abstract

Two aspects of root to shoot communication in flooded plants are discussed (i) the formation of porous aerenchyma that enhances the passage of oxygen, and other gases, from shoots to roots and (ii) the movement of the ethylene precursor 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) from roots to shoots in the transpiration stream, and the effect of this on ethylene production and epinastic curvature in the shoots. For aerenchyma studies a highly sensitive photoacoustic laser detector for ethylene was used to avoid interference associated with other methods of ethylene measurement that require tissue excision. ACC concentrations in xylem sap were measured by physico-chemical means to ensure correct identification and account for processing losses. Solute concentrations, e.g., abscisic acid (ABA), in xylem sap are shown to be distorted by temporary contamination caused by the method used to collect sap. Concentrations of solutes in xylem sap (e.g., ACC) are also altered by changes in sap flow brought about by conventional methods of sap collection or by experimental treatments such as flooding the soil. Ways of for overcoming these problems are described together with a summary of preliminary results.

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F. Baluška M. Čiamporová O. Gašparíková P. W. Barlow

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© 1995 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

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Jackson, M.B. et al. (1995). Hormones and root-shoot relationships in flooded plants — an analysis of methods and results. In: Baluška, F., Čiamporová, M., Gašparíková, O., Barlow, P.W. (eds) Structure and Function of Roots. Developments in Plant and Soil Sciences, vol 58. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-3101-0_32

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-3101-0_32

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-90-481-4402-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-017-3101-0

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