Abstract
Spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Tonic) was grown for 16 days in a sandy loam soil which was contaminated with 137Cs. The soil was fertilised with K at three rates (0,1 and 2 mmol K per 950 g dry soil) and with NO3 --N at two rates (0 and 2 mmol per 950 g dry soil) in a factorial design. The 137Cs Activity Concentration (AC) in the shoot tissue significantly reduced 8.2-fold (nil N treatment, p<0.001) and 9.3-fold (highest N dose, p<0.001) with increasing K supply. In contrast, the K application increased the 137Cs AC in soil solution 1.7 fold (nil N treatment) or had no significant effect (highest N dose). At similar K application, the application of N increased the 137Cs AC in the shoot compared to the control. This effect is most probably due to the increased NH4 + concentration in soil solution which increased the 137Cs AC in soil solution. The soil solution composition (137Cs and K concentration) in the rhizosphere was estimated from the average soil solution composition at day 16 and solute transport calculations. The 137Cs AC in the shoot tissue was predicted from the estimated soil solution composition in the rhizosphere and the relationship between K concentration and 137Cs uptake derived from a nutrient solution experiment. The predictions of 137Cs AC's in the shoot are qualitatively correct for the fertiliser effects but underestimate the observations between 1.4 and 9.9 fold.
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Smolders, E., Kiebooms, L., Buysse, J. et al. 137Cs uptake in spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.cv. Tonic) at varying K supply. Plant Soil 181, 211–220 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00012055
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00012055