Abstract: | Growth and nitrate uptake kinetics in vegetatively growing barley(Hordeum vulgare L., cvs Laevigatum, Golf, and Mette) were investigatedin solution culture under long-term limitations of externalnitrogen availability. Nitrate was fed to the cultures at relativeaddition rates (RA) ranging from 0.02 to 0.2 d1. Therelative growth rate (RG, calculated for total plant dry weight)correlated well with RA in the range 0.02 to 0.07 d1.In the RA range from 0.07 to 0.2 d1 RG continued to increase,but an increasing fraction of nitrogen, added and absorbed,was apparently stored rather than used for structural growth.The RG of the roots was less affected by RA. Vmax, for net nitrateuptake increased with RA up to 0.11 d1, but decreasedat higher RA. The decline in Vmax coincided with a build-upof nitrate stores in both roots and shoots. Vmax, expressedper unit nitrogen in the plants (the relative Vmax, was higherthan required for maintenance of growth (up to 30-fold) at lowRA, whereas at higher RA the relative Vmax decreased. Kineticpredictions of steady-state external nitrate concentrationsduring N-limited growth ranged from 0.2 to 5.0 mmol m3over the RG range 0.02 to 0.11 d1. It is suggested thatthe nitrate uptake system is not under specific regulation atlow RA, but co-ordinated with root protein synthesis and growthin general. At RA higher than 0.11 d1, however, specificregulation of nitrate uptake, possibly via root nitrate pools,become important. The three cultivars showed very similar growthand nitrate uptake characteristics. Key words: Barley, growth, nitrogen limitation, nitrate uptake, kinetics |