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Abstract
Photochemical reduction of ferric iron induced by ultraviolet (UV) and blue radiation is enhanced by certain di‐ and tri‐carboxylic acids. Iron photoreduction proceeds according to the following relative rates in Fe3+‐organic acid solutions containing the major plant acids listed: tartaric >oxalic>citric> malic>aconitic > fumaric ≥succinic≥FeCl3 (control). Any sensitized ferric to ferrous photoreduction occurring in plant foliage exposed to sunlight or artificial light would make iron more available to the tissues for metabolism.
Iron is translocated within plants primarily complexed with citric acid (Tiffin, 1972). Citric acid is decarboxylated during Fe‐citrate photoreduction‐oxidation. Ferric iron photoreduction is thus accompanied by citrate degradation.
In plant foliage, the fate of ferric citrate taken up the stem depends upon many plant‐related factors. Chelated iron is translocated predominately to actively growing regions where enzymatic reactions largely determine the immediate fate. Inhibitory solutes in veins and tissues (e.g., phosphates, heavy metals, etc.) can limit photoreduction‐degradation enroute.
