Phosphorus Uptake from Soil by Lolium perenne During and After Severe Drought

Abstract

JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org. SUMMARY(1) Mature Lolium perenne plants grown in soil were subjected to gradually increasing drought, and their uptake of phosphorus was determined during and after the drought.(2) Relatively mild drought (soil matric potentials -06 to -08 MPa) stopped phosphorus uptake, probably because phosphorus in the drying soil became unavailable.(3) After drought, the rates of uptake of phosphorus and of applied 32p from rewetted soil were reduced.(4) Some recovery in rate of phosphorus uptake occurred two to three weeks after rewetting.(5) The reduction in 32p uptake following drought was approximately the same whether the plants were mycorrhizal or not.(6) The control of the reduced uptake was located in the root. * Present address: 37 Staunton Road, Oxford OX3 7TJ.

Root growth patterns of perennial ryegrasses under well-watered and drought conditions

“…There are very few reports in the literature on early post-drought growth of ryegrass roots. Our results suggest that the delay in phosphorus uptake of 2Á3 weeks after rewetting of droughted ryegrass reported by Jupp & Newman (1987) may have been caused by a temporary inhibition of new root growth. The effect of drought on autumn root growth in rewetted soils completely overrode the apparent temperature controls on root initiation seen in the well-watered treatments.…”

The Role of Plants in the Effects of Global Change on Nutrient Availability and Stoichiometry in the Plant-Soil System

“…Enzymes of N metabolism play an important role in the acclimation to drought (Xu and Zhou, 2006). Most studies show that decreases in soil moisture also reduce N and/or P uptake by plants (Jupp and Newman, 1987;Sardans and Peñuelas, 2007;Cramer et al, 2009;Waraich et al, 2011), suggesting a negative feedback of less water and fewer nutrients on the production capacity and fitness of plants when drought persists or becomes more severe. As a result, plants under drought tend to produce leaves and litter with high C-nutrient ratios (Yarie and Vancleve, 1996;Sardans et al, 2008b;Limousin et al, 2010).…”

Nutrient Use Efficiency

“…The decline may be most marked in the surface layers of soil although there may be proliferation of roots in the moist subsoil (Asseng et al 1998). Nutrient uptake from the drying parts of the soil profile will be reduced and this is likely to lower total nutrient uptake if other parts of the profile are unable to maintain the supply of nutrients Jupp and Newman 1987;Buljovcic and Engels 2001). The ability of roots to recover from periods of dry weather and resume nutrient uptake is also important for the nutrition of crops.…”

“…Rewetting of the soil profile can lead to renewed root growth and water uptake, but there may be a considerable delay in the time of recovery. Studies on P uptake by Jupp and Newman (1987) found that uptake to the shoot was low following rewatering and there was some evidence of recovery only after 2 or 3 weeks. In the field, recovery of water use after a period of water deficit occurred approximately 10 days after rewatering (Asseng et al 1998).…”