Effect of various metal ions on growth of two wheat lines known to differ in aluminium tolerance

The effects of aluminium (Al), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), boron (B), iron (Fe), gallium (Ga), scandium (Sc) and lanthanum (La) on growth of an Al-tolerant and an Al-sensitive line of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) were measured in solution culture. The concentrations of nutrients in the basal nutrient solution were (M) 500 Ca, 100 Mg, 300 K, 600 N (150 NH₄, 450 NO₃), 600 SO₄, 2.5 P, 3 B, 2.5 Fe, 0.5 Zn, 0.5 Mn, 0.1 Cu at a pH of 4.7. The major solution nutrient concentrations were maintained at the nominal concentration with monitoring, frequent additions and weekly renewal. Differentiation in yield between the Al-tolerant and Al-sensitive line only occurred in the presence of Al indicating that, in the long term, none of the other metals tested could be used as an analog for Al. The visual symptoms in the roots of Cu toxicity (in both lines) and Al toxicity (in the sensitive line) were similar. The solution concentration (M) at which yield of the roots of the tolerant line was reduced by 50% was, in order of increasing tolerance, Cu 0.5, Sc 1.1, La 7.1, Ga 8.6, Al 15, Zn 19, Fe 84, B 490 and Mn 600.