Maize growth and uptake of phosphate and copper at different ambient phosphate concentrations

Abstract

Response of maize to 10, 100, and 1,000 μM P was studied in solution culture. Maize growth was maximum at 100 μM P while the root/shoot ratio was the highest at 10 μM P. Increase in the supply of P in the solution promoted its uptake and decreased the P utilization rate. Both transport to shoot and uptake rate of Cu increased with the increase of the solution P concentrations. The proportion of Cu retained in roots (65%) did not vary with differential Cu uptake at three P levels. Copper and P concentrations in roots were positively correlated.

Key Words:

• ambient P levels
• Cu uptake
• maize growth
• P uptake