Abstract
Zinc (Zn) distribution and transport in plants is affected by the level of Zn supply and plant species. When plants have low to adequate Zn supply, Zn concentrations are usually higher in growing tissue than in mature tissue; this is true for roots, vegetative shoots and reproductive tissues. In plants tolerant of toxic levels of Zn, accumulation has been observed in the root cortex and in leaves. In these tissues, Zn accumulates in cell walls or is sequestered in vacuoles.
Zinc transport in the xylem does not necessarily coincide with that of water. Zinc is a nutrient with variable mobility that is retranslocated to a greater extent when in adequate supply. Zinc movement out of old leaves coincides with their senescence; both can be delayed by Zn deficiency. Species differ widely in their ability to load Zn into seeds; some native plants adapted to nutrient-poor soils have 10 times greater Zn concentrations in their seeds than most cultivated species, but have similar or lower Zn concentrations in their leaves.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Cakmak I and Marschner H 1990 Decrease in nitrate uptake and increase in proton release in zinc-deficient cotton, sunflower and buckwheat plants. Plant Soil. 129, 261–268.
Cakmak I, Marschner H , Bangerth F 1989 Effect of zinc nutritional status on growth, protein metabolism and levels of indole-3-acetic acid and other phytohormones in bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) J. Exp. Bot. 40, 405– 412.
Duffus C M and Rosie R 1976 Changes in trace element composition of developing barley grain. J. Agric. Sci. 87, 75–79.
Faust M, Shear C B and Smith C B 1967 Investigations of corking disorders of apples. I. Mineral element gradients in ‘York Imperial’ apples. Am. Soc. Hort. Sci. 91, 69–72.
Gibson T S, Leece D R 1981 Estimation of physiologically active zinc in maize by biochemical assay. Plant Soil. 63, 395–406.
Harley C P, Regeimbal L O and Moon H H 1956 Absorption of nutrient salts by bark and woody tissues of apple and subsequent translocation. Am. Soc. Hort. Sci. 67, 47–57.
Hill J, Robson A D and Loneragan J F 1979 The effect of copper supply on the senescence and the retranslocation of nutrients of the oldest leaf of wheat. Ann. Bot. 44, 279–287.
Hocking PJ 1980 Redistribution of nutrient elements from cotyledons of two species of annual legumes during germination and seedling growth. Ann. Bot. 45, 383–396.
Hocking P J and Pate J S 1977 Mobilization of minerals to developing seeds of legumes. Ann. Bot. 41, 1259– 1278.
Hocking P J and Pate J S 1978 Accumulation and distribution of mineral elements in the annual lupins Lupinus albus L and Lupinus angustifolius L. Aust. J. Agric. Res. 29, 267–280.
Jolley V D, Brown J C 1991 Factors in iron-stress response mechanism enhanced by Zn-deficiency stress in Sanilac, but not Saginaw navy bean. J. Plant Nutr. 14, 257–265.
Krotz R M, Evangelou B P and Wagner G J 1989 Relationships between cadmium, zinc, Cd-peptide and organic acid in tobacco suspension cells. Plant Physiol. 91, 780–787.
Kuo J, Hocking P J and Pate J S 1982 Nutrient reserves in seeds of selected Proteaceous species from southwestern Australia. Aust. J. Bot. 30, 231–249.
Layzell D B, Pate J S, Atkins C A and Canvin D T 1981 Partitioning of carbon and nitrogen and the nutrition of root and shoot apex in a nodulated legume. Plant Physiol. 67, 30–36.
Loneragan J F, Kirk G J and Webb M J 1987 Translocation and function of zinc in roots. J Plant Nutr 10, 1247– 1254.
Massey H G and Loeffel F A 1967 Factors in interstrain variation in zinc content of maize (Zea mays L.) kernels. Agron,J. 59, 214–217.
Mathys W 1977 The role of malate, oxalate and mustard oil glucosides in the evolution of zinc resistance in herbage plants. Physiol. Plant. 40, 130–136.
McGrath JF 1982 Some aspects of the zinc nutrition of Pinus radiata D. Don. Ph. D. thesis, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Western Australia.
McGrath J F and Robson A D 1984a The distribution of zinc and the diagnosis of zinc deficiency in seedlings of Pinus radiata ,D. Don. Aust. For. Res. 14, 175–186.
McGrath J F and Robson A D 1984b The influence of zinc supply to seedlings of Pinus radiata D. Don on the internal transport of recently absorbed zinc. Aust. J. Plant Physiol. 11, 165–178.
McGrath J F and Robson A D 1984c The movement of zinc through excised stems of seedlings of Pinus radiata D. Don. Ann. Bot. 54, 231–242.
Mozafar A 1990 Kernel abortion and distribution of mineral elements along the maize ear. Agron. J. 82, 511– 514.
Mullins G L, Sommers L E and Housley T L 1986 Metal speciation in xylem and phloem exudates. Plant Soil. 96, 377–391.
Nable R 0 and Webb M J 1993 Further evidence that zinc is required throughout the root zone for optimal plant growth and development. Plant Soil (in press).
Obata H and Kitagishi K 1980a Time course of zinc or manganese accumulation within individual leaves. J. Sci. Soil Manur., Jpn 51, 292–296 (in Japanese).
Obata H and Kitagishi K 1980b Investigation on pathway of zinc transport in vegetative node of rice plant by autoradiography. J. Sci. Soil Manur., Jpn 51, 297–301 (in Japanese).
Ohki K 1977 Critical zinc levels related to early growth and development of determinate soybeans. Agron. J. 69, 969–974.
Orphanos P1975 Spray application of zinc to young apple trees. Hort. Res. 15, 23–30.
Polar E 1976 Variations in zinc content of subcellular fractions from young and old roots, stems and leaves of broad beans (Viciafaba). Physiol. Plant. 38, 159–165.
Reay P F 1987 The distribution of nine elements in shoots of Lupinus albus L. and Lupinus angustifolius L. compared with that of silicon as a measure of passive transport. Ann. Bot. 59, 219–225.
Reay P F and Waugh C 1981 Mineral-element composition of Lupinus albus and Lupinus angustifolius in relation to manganese accumulation. Plant Soil 60, 435–444.
Reuter D J 1980 Distribution of copper and zinc in subterranean clover in relation to deficiency diagnosis. Ph. D. Thesis, Murdoch University, Western Australia.
Reuter D J, Loneragan J F, Robson A D and Plaskett D 1982 Zinc in subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum L. cv. Seaton Park). I. Effects of zinc supply on distribution of zinc and dry weight among plant parts. Aust. J. Agric. Res. 33, 989–999.
Riceman D S and Jones G B 1958a Distribution of zinc and copper in subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum L.) grown in culture solutions supplied with graduated amounts of zinc. Aust. J. Agric. Res. 9, 73–122.
Riceman D S and Jones G B 1958b Distribution of dry weight and of zinc and copper among the individual leaves of seedlings of subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum L.) grown in complete culture solution and in a culture solution deficient in zinc. Aust. J. Agric. Res. 9, 446–463.
Riceman D S and Jones G B 1958c Distribution of zinc in subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum L.) grown to maturity in a culture solution containing zinc labelled with the radioactive isotope Zn. Aust. J. Agric. Res. 9, 730–744.
Robson A D and Pitman M G 1983 Interactions between nutrients in higher plants. In: Enc Pl Physiol, New Series, Vol. 15b. Eds. A Läuchli and R L Bieleski. pp 147–180.
Robson A D and Snowball K 1989 The effect of 2-(4-2‘,4’-dichlorophenoxy-phenoxy)-methyl propanoate on the uptake and utilization of zinc by wheat. Aust. J. Agric. Res. 40, 981–990.
Ruano A, Barcelo J and Poshcenrieder C 1987 Zinc toxicity-induced variation of mineral element composition in hydroponically grown bush bean plants. J. Plant Nutr. 10, 373–384.
Santa Maria G E and Cogliatti D H 1988 Bidirectional Zn-fluxes and compartmentation in wheat seedling roots. J. Plant Physiol. 132, 312–325.
Sieghardt H 1990 Heavy-metal uptake and distribution in Silene vulgaris and Minuartia verna growing on mining-dump containing lead and zinc. Plant Soil 123, 107–111.
Singh B R and Steenberg K 1974 Plant response to micronutrients. I. Uptake, distribution and translocation of zinc in maize and barley plants. Plant Soil 40, 637–646.
Spitzer E W, Webber M and Lott J N A 1981 Elemental composition of globoid crystals in protein bodies of wheat grain grown on soil treated with sewage sludge. Can. J. Bot. 59, 403–409.
Sudia T W and Green D G 1972 The translocation of Zn-65 and Cs-134 between seed generations in soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.). Plant Soil 37, 695–697.
Tiffin L O 1967 Translocation of manganese, iron, cobalt, and zinc in tomato. Plant Physiol. 42, 1427–1432.
Turner R G 1970 The subcellular distribution of zinc and copper within the roots of metal tolerant clones of Agrostis tenuis Sibth. New Phytol. 69, 725–731.
Turner R G and Marshall C 1971 The accumulation of Zn-65 by root homogenates of zinc-tolerant clones of Agrostis tenuis Sibth. New Phytol. 70, 539–545.
Van Goor B J and Wiersma D 1976 Chemical forms of manganese and zinc in phloem exudates. Physiol. Plant. 36, 213–216.
Van Steveninck R F M, Van Steveninck M E, Fernando D R, Godbold D L, Horst W J and Marschner H 1987 Identification of zinc-containing globules in roots of a zinc-tolerant ecotype os Deschampsia caespitosa. J. Plant Nutr. 10, 1239–1246.
Van Steveninck R F M, Van Steveninck M E, Wells A J and Fernando D R 1990 Zinc tolerance and the binding of zinc as zinc phytate in Lemna minor, x-ray microanalytical evidence J. Plant Physiol. 137, 140–146.
Wallihan EF and Heymann-Herschberg L 1956 Some factors affecting absorption and translocation of zinc in citrus plants. Plant Physiol. 31, 294–299.
Watkins P A 1982 Copper and zinc nutrition of Granny Smith apple plants. M.S. Thesis. The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Western Australia.
Welch, R M 1986 “Effects of nutrient deficiencies on seed production and quality”, in B. Tinker and A. Läuchli (eds) Advances in Plant Nutrition, Praeger, Connecticut, pp. 205–247.
White C L, Robson A D and Fisher H M 1981a Variation in nitrogen, sulphur, selenium, cobalt, manganese, copper and zinc contents of grain from wheat and two lupin species grown in a range of Mediterranean environments. Aust. J. Agric. Res. 32, 47–59.
White M C, Decker A M and Chaney R L 1979 Differential cultivar tolerance in soybean to phytotoxic levels of soil Zn. I. Range of cultivar response. Agron. J. 71, 121–126.
White M, Decker A and Chaney R 1981b Metal complexation in xylem fluid. I. Chemical composition of tomato and soybean stem exudate. Plant Physiol. 67, 292–300.
White M, Baker F, Chaney R and Decker A 1981c Metal complexation in xylem fluid. II. Theoretical equilibrium model and computational computer program. Plant Physiol. 67, 301–310.
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1993 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Longnecker, N.E., Robson, A.D. (1993). Distribution and Transport of Zinc in Plants. In: Robson, A.D. (eds) Zinc in Soils and Plants. Developments in Plant and Soil Sciences, vol 55. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-0878-2_6
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-0878-2_6
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-010-4380-9
Online ISBN: 978-94-011-0878-2
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive