CSIRO Publishing Books Journals About Us Shopping Cart You are here: Journals > Animal Production Science   
Animal Production Science
  Food, Fibre and Pharmaceuticals from Animals
 
Search
 
 
  Advanced Search
   

Journal Home
About the Journal
Editorial Board
Contacts
Content
Online Early
Current Issue
Just Accepted
All Issues
Special Issues
Research Fronts
Reviews
Sample Issue
For Authors
General Information
Notes for Authors
Submit Article
Open Access
For Referees
General Information
Review Article
Annual Referee Index
For Subscribers
Subscription Prices
Customer Service
Print Publication Dates

 Early Alert
Subscribe to our Email Alert or RSS feeds for the latest journal papers.

 Connect with us
facebook   youtube

Training

Publication Workshops


 

Article << Previous     |     Next >>   Contents Vol 46(11)

Early growth of wheat is more sensitive to salinity than boron at levels encountered in alkaline soils of south-eastern Australia

J. G. Nuttall A D, R. D. Armstrong A, D. J. Connor B C

A Department of Primary Industries, Private Bag 260, Horsham, Vic. 3401, Australia.
B Institute of Land and Food Resources, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic. 3010, Australia.
C Current address: Instituto de Agricultura Sostenible (CSIC), Apartado 4084, 14080 Córdoba, Spain.
D Corresponding author. Email: james.nuttall@dpi.vic.gov.au
 
PDF (182 KB) $25
 Export Citation
 Print
  


Abstract

The early vegetative growth of 3 wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars, Frame, BT Schomburgk and Schomburgk, was evaluated over a range of soil salinity and soluble boron (B) concentrations in pots. Additions of boric acid and mixed salts to a sandy clay soil produced extractable B levels of 2, 13, 24, 51 and 129 mg/kg and salinities (ECe) of 0.8, 8, 15, 23 and 29 dS/m. In both cases, the levels produced in the first 4 treatments corresponded well with those commonly observed in subsoils of the southern Mallee. Within the ranges tested, wheat cultivars had relatively greater tolerance to B toxicity than to salinity. Significant differences in tolerance also existed among the 3 cultivars for B, but not for mixed salts. For Frame, BT Schomburgk and Schomburgk, critical concentrations of soil soluble B were estimated at 53, 32 and 27 mg/kg, respectively, in the absence of salinity. For salinity tolerance, the 3 wheat cultivars could all tolerate an ECe up to about 9 dS/m equally well. In combination with B, salinity still dictated overall response in growth with the interactive effect of B being to increase sensitivity of plants at low levels of salt. Shoot B concentrations in Frame ranged from 15 to 947 mg/kg for increasing soil B treatments but these responses did not correlate well with growth reduction. Shoot Na contents ranged from 0.02 to 0.58%, but was not a reliable indicator of Na+ toxicity due to interactive effects of B: increasing B reduced Na+ uptake. Generally, differences in B tolerance among the cultivars highlighted the existence of genetic variation in adaptation of wheat to high levels of soil B; however, this does not appear to be the case for salt tolerance in wheat. Because high levels of B and salt usually co-exist in the field, plant tolerance to these limitations need to exist in combination.

Keywords: cereals, sodicity, toxicity.


   
Subscriber Login
Username:
Password:  

    


 
Top  Email this page
 
Legal & Privacy | Contact Us | Help

CSIRO

© CSIRO 1996-2012