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Physiological Changes in and Ozone Susceptibility of the Tomato Plant After Short Periods of Inadequate Oxygen Diffusion to the Roots
Author(s) -
Stolzy L. H.,
Taylor O. C.,
Dugger W. M.,
Mersereau J. D.
Publication year - 1964
Publication title -
soil science society of america journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.836
H-Index - 168
eISSN - 1435-0661
pISSN - 0361-5995
DOI - 10.2136/sssaj1964.03615995002800030006x
Subject(s) - photosynthesis , anaerobic exercise , chemistry , starch , oxygen , ozone , aeration , sucrose , carbohydrate , membrane permeability , carbohydrate metabolism , metabolism , botany , horticulture , biology , food science , biochemistry , physiology , membrane , organic chemistry
The degree to which tomato leaves were altered following short periods of reduced oxygen in the root zone was studied in relation to the following factors: apparent rate of photosynthesis, susceptibility to ozone, and carbohydrate concentration. Reduced rates of soil oxygen diffusion for 8 ½ hours brought about a 50% decerase in CO 2 fixation by plants, while shorter periods (3 hours) had only a slight effect on apparent photosynthesis. However, the short period of anaerobic treatment over the soil surface, followed by normal soil aeration for 24 hours, reduced the susceptibility of the plant to ozone damage by as much as 50%. Carbohydrate analysis of leaf tissue for similarly treated plants showed a 50% reduction in sucrose and 33% reduction in starch. It is hypothesized that the anaerobic pretreatment brought about a change in the root membrane permeability or a shift in metabolism that promoted excretion of certain carbohydrates from the roots which in turn changed the concentration of carbohydrates in the leaves.