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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Kimberly, Idaho » Northwest Irrigation and Soils Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #122615
Title: ELEMENTAL UPTAKE IN RELATION TO ROOT CHARACTERISTICS OF TALL FESCUE

Author
item SHEWMAKER, GLENN - UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO
item JOHNSON, DOUGLAS - UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY
item Mayland, Henry
item MARTIN, SCOTT - UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
item Hansen, Susie

Submitted to: Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/21/2003
Publication Date: 5/17/2004
Citation: Shewmaker, G.E., Johnson, D.A., Mayland, H.F., Martin, S.A., Hansen, S.B. 2004. Elemental uptake in relation to root characteristics of tall fescue. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis. 35(9&10):1339-1355.

Interpretive Summary: We wished to identify how HiMag tall fescue leaves were able to accumulate higher concentrations of magnesium and calcium relative to potassium, than did other varieties. Leaf, root, and pseudostem characteristics, as measured, did not explain the differential accumulation of elements by HiMag.

Technical Abstract: HiMag, an accession of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.), was selected for high Mg concentration in leaves to reduce grass tetany risk to ruminants. However, the mechanism for enhanced Mg uptake in HiMag leaves has not been determined. The objective was to investigate if increased Mg uptake in HiMag could be explained by differences in mineral distribution among plant parts, root characteristics, mycorhhizal incidence, or organic acid concentration compared to its parental cultivars, 'Kentucky 31' (KY31) and 'Missouri 96' (MO96). The study was conducted in 1994 and 1995 on pastures sown in 1991 on a surface-irrigated calcareous Portneuf silt loam (coarse-silty, mixed, mesic, Durinodic Xeric Haplocalcid). Vegetation and soil cores of 7.6-cm diameter were sampled to a 45-cm soil depth in 15-cm increments. Mass and ash were determined for leaves, crowns, and roots. Leaf area, total root length, root area, root length density, elemental concentrations and uptake (K, Ca, Mg, Na, and P), malate and citrate concentrations, and mycorrhizal incidence also were determined. HiMag did not differ in leaf, crown, and root elemental concentrations from its parents in 1994, but did contain higher Mg and P and lower K than its parents in 1995. Leaf K/(Ca+Mg), which is an indicator of risk for grass tetany, was lower in HiMag than KY31 and MO96 in 1995. None of the characteristics examined in our study were consistently related to cation concentrations in the three tall fescue accessions, suggesting that HiMag may have an active uptake or transport mechanism for Mg.