Summary
Tomato plants (Lycopersicon esculentum cv. Amberley Cross) were grown in a series of nutrient solutions in which 0, 60, 90, 95, 98 and 99 per cent of the K was replaced by Na. The plants selectively absorbed K relative to Na from the nutrient solutions and transported K to the shoots in preference to Na. In the nutrient solution having the highest K/Na ration most of the Na taken up by the plants accumulated in the roots, but as the K was progressively replaced by Na an increasing proportion of the total Na absorbed was transported to the leaves. Sodium was present at up to 2.4 per cent of the dry wt of whole, fully-expanded leaves without there being any apparent visual signs of damage or reduction in the rate of growth of the plants. On closer examination it was found that most of the Na transported to the leaves was excluded from the laminar tissue and accumulated in the adjacent petioles. The ability of the roots and petioles to retain large amounts of Na depended on an adequate supply of K to the plants.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bernstein, L., Brown, J. W. and Hayward, H. E., The influence of rootstock on growth and salt accumulation in stone-fruit trees and almonds. Proc. Am. Soc. Hort. Sci.68, 86–95 (1956).
Black, R. F., Effect on NaCl in water culture on the ion uptake and growth ofAtriplex hastata L. Aust. J. Biol. Sci.9, 67–80 (1956).
Brownell, P. F., Sodium as an essential micronutrient element for a higher plant (Atriplex vesicaria). Plant Physiol.40, 460–468 (1965).
Collander, R., Selective absorption of cations by higher plants. Plant Physiol.16, 691–720 (1941).
Draycott, A. P. and Durrant, M. J., Response by sugar beet to potassium and sodium fertilizers, particularly in relation to soils containing little exchangeable potassium. J. Agric. Sci., Cam.87, 105–112 (1976).
El-Sheikh, A. M., Ulrich, A. and Broyer, T. C., Sodium and rubidium as possible nutrients for sugar beet plants. Plant Physiol.42, 1202–1208 (1967).
Gutknecht, J. and Dainty, J., Ionic relations of marine algae. Oceanogr. Mar. Biol. Rev.6, 163–200 (1968).
Hylton, L. O., Ulrich, A. and Cornelius, D. R., Potassium and sodium interrelations in growth and mineral content of Italian ryegrass. Agron. J.59, 311–314 (1967).
Jacoby, B., Function of bean roots and stems in sodium retention. Plant Physiol.39, 445–449 (1964).
Jacoby, B., Sodium retention in excised bean stems. Physiol. Plant.18, 730–739 (1965).
Jacoby, B., Light sensitivity of22Na,86Rb,42K absorption by different tissues of bean leaves. Plant Physiol.55, 978–981 (1975).
Jacoby, B., and Ratner, A., Mechanism of sodium exclusion in bean and corn plants — a reevaluation.In J. Wehrmann, ed., Proceedings of the 7th International Colloquium on Plant Analysis and Fertilizer Problems. German Society of Plant Nutrition, Hannover pp. 175–185.
Jeschke, W. D., Evidence for a K+-stimulated Na+ efflux att he plasmalemma of barley root cells. Planta94, 240–245 (1970).
La Haye, P. A. and Epstein, E., Calcium and salt toleration by bean plants. Physiol. Plant.25, 213–218 (1971).
Nassery, H. and Baker, D. A., Extrusion of sodium ions by barley roots. I. Characteristics of the extrusion mechanism. Ann. Bot.36, 881–887 (1972).
Nassery, H. and Baker, D. A., Extrusion of sodium ions by barley roots. II. Localization of the extrusion mechanism and its relation to long-distance sodium ion transport. Ann. Bot.36, 889–895 (1972).
O'Neill, J. V. and Webb, R. A., Simultaneous determination of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in plant material by automatic methods. J. Sci. Food Agr.21, 217–219 (1970).
Pitman, M. G. and Saddler, H. D. W., Active sodium and potassium transport in cells of barley roots. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.57, 44–49 (1967).
Rains, D. W., Cation absorption by slices of stem tissue of bean and cotton. Experimentia25, 215–216 (1969).
Rains, D. W. and Epstein, E., Preferential absorption of potassium by leaf tissue of the mangrove.Avicennia marina: an aspect of halophytic competence in coping with salt. Aust. J. Biol. Sci.20, 847–857 (1967).
Raven, J. A., Ion transport inHydrodictyon africanum. J. Gen. Physiol.50, 1607–1625 (1967).
Rush, D.W. and Epstein, E., Genotypic responses to salinity — Differences between salt-sensitive and salt-tolerant genotypes of the tomato. Plant Physiol.57, 162–166 (1976).
Scholander, P. F., Bradstreet, E. D., Hammel, H. T. and Hemmingsen, E. A., Sap concentrations in halophytes and some other plants. Plant Physiol.41, 529–532 (1966).
Shone, M. G. T., Clarkson, D. T. and Sanderson, J., The absorption and translocation of sodium by maize seedlings. Planta86, 301–314 (1969).
Truog, E., Berger, K. C. and Attoe, O. J., Response of nine economic plants to fertilization with sodium. Soil Sci.76, 41–50 (1953).
Wallace, A., Hemaidan, N. and Sufi, S. M., Sodium translocation in bush beans. Soil Sci.100, 331–334 (1965).
Whittam, R., The asymmetrical stimulation of a membrane adenosine triphosphatase in relation to active cation transport. Biochem. J.84, 110–118 (1962).
Williams, M. C., Effect of sodium and potassium salts on growth and oxalate content of Halogeton. Plant Physiol.35, 500–509 (1960).
Woolley, J. T., Sodium and silicon as nutrients for the tomato plant. Plant Physiol.32, 317–321 (1957).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Besford, R.T. Effect of replacing nutrient potassium by sodium on uptake and distribution of sodium in tomato plants. Plant Soil 50, 399–409 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02107188
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02107188