Transport of iron into leaves following iron resupply to iron‐stressed sugar beet plants

Abstract

Iron‐stressed sugar beets were resupplied with ferrous salts and ferric EDTA and the transport of iron into leaves was monitored with time. After 24 hours of iron resupply, leaf iron concentrations increased 11‐fold whether iron was resupplied as ferrous sulfate or ferric EDTA. There was a substantial increase in leaf iron during the first two hours with the maximum rate of accumulation occurring during the first six hours after resupply began. The massive transport of iron into leaves following iron resupply was associated with iron movement into interveinal areas as well as into petioles and veins. The results suggest that the phenomenon of enhanced iron uptake by iron‐stressed plants occurs even when the ferric to ferrous reduction step at the root is bypassed.

Key words:

• Fe stress
• Fe deficiency
• Fe uptake
• Fe transport