Comparison of the Effects of Root Temperature on Nitrate and Ammonium Nutrition of Oilseed Rape (Brassica napusL.) in Flowing Solution Culture: II. CATION-ANION BALANCE

Macduff, J. H., Hopper, M. J., Wild, A. and Trim, F. E. 1987.Comparison of the effects of root temperature on nitrate andammonium nutrition of oilseed rape (Brassica napusL.) in flowingsolution culture. II. Cation-anion balance.—J. exp. Bot.38: 1589-1602. The effects of root temperature and form of N nutrition (NH4or NOJ) on the mineral composition of the plant, the balanceof inorganic cation-anion uptake and on the apparent net effluxof H ⁺/OH^–ions from the roots were studied with 49-d-oldoilseed rape (Brassica napusL. cv. Bien venu) in flowing solutionculture. Plants were pre-treated for 14 d at a root temperatureof 5 °C prior to constant root temperatures of 3, 7, 11or 17°C for 14 d, with a common shoot temperature of 20/15°Cday/night. Nitrogen was supplied as NH⁺₄4 or NO^–₃ at 10mmol m³. Values of Q₁₀ (7-17°C) for mean unit absorptionrates of all the major nutrient ions (K⁺ , Mg⁺⁺ , NH⁺₄, SO₄,H₂PO₄, NO₃), except Ca⁺⁺, were > 2.0 over the first 5 d oftreatment but thereafter were < 1.5; the apparent effectof temperature on uptake rates diminished with time. Under NH⁺₄nutrition, inorganic cation uptake (Mg^{+ +} + K⁺+Ca^{+ +} +NH⁺₄)exceeded inorganic anion uptake (SO4 ^–₄+ H₂PO₄) over 14d at all temperatures, with the proportion of cation uptakeas NH4 remaining constant (0.67-0-68) irrespective of root temperature.The net efflux of H ⁺ from the roots approximately balancedNH⁺₄ uptake (1:1) over 14 d at each temperature and also balancedthe difference between the total uptake of inorganic cationsand inorganic anions. Under NO₃ nutrition, the sum of the netefflux of OH and the change in the carboxylate contents of plantsover 14 d approximately balanced the sum of NO₃ and SO ^–₄reduced in the plant. The majority of the negative charge associatedwith the reduction of NO₃ and SO ^–₄ was apparently effluxedas OH, but this fraction was lower at low root temperatures.The results are discussed in terms of mechanisms that have beenproposed to regulate the internal pH of plants. Key words: Brassica napus, oilseed rape, root temperature, cation-anion balance, H⁺/OH efflux.