Root Zone Temperature Effects on Growth and Phosphate Absorption in Rape Brassica napus cv. Emerald

Solution culture experiments with fodder rape (Brassica napuscv. Emerald) show that reduced root temperatures appear to havelittle effect on phosphate inflow over a wide range of P concentration.At a cool root temperature (10 ?C) plant growth rate was reducedbut this was compensated for by a low root: shoot ratio, sothat inflow remained relatively steady. An increased inflowper unit length of root was only achieved at an elevated roottemperature of 35 ?C. The minimum phosphate concentration towhich plants could lower the culture solution (C_mln) rangedfrom 0.15 to 2.5 mmol m^–3 according to whether roots wereat a low (5 ?C) or high (35 ?C) temperature respectively. Thetotal phosphorus concentration in tissues was affected by rootzone temperature and at low root temperatures this could bea growth limiting factor. The organic (assimilated) fractionof P in shoot tissues was smaller in low temperature plants.These showed visual symptoms of apparent P deficiency. Levelsof inorganic P in roots may also be a factor in feedback ofcontrol of inflow. Key words: Temperature, Roots, Phosphate, Rape (Brassica napus)