Lithium toxicity in plants. [Phaseolus vulgaris, barley, Gossypium hirsutum]
The toxicity of Li to three plant species was studied to determine if there were interactions with other elements and to determine if a chelating agent modified Li toxicity. Bush beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L. C.V. Improved Tendergreen), grown in solution culture, were sensitive to 0.5 x 10/sup -3/ M Li which resulted in 10 ..mu..g/g in leaves, 48 in stems, and 24 in roots. Higher concentrations of Li produced marked reductions in plant yield accompanied by increased Li concentrations in leaf, stem, and root tissues. For most treatments, root concentrations of Li were lower than those in shoots, but those in stems were higher than those in leaves. Higher levels of Li decreased Zn in leaves, increased Ca in stems, and generally increased Fe and Mn in all plant tissues. Ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) resulted in slightly increased Li levels in leaves, stems, and roots. Bush bean plants were injured slightly with 25 ..mu..g Li/g of Yolo loam soil applied as LiCl; 50 ..mu..g Li/g soil caused more severe injury. Leaf concentrations of about 200 ..mu..g Li/g resulted in significant yield reduction and around 600 ..mu..g/g of leaves resulted in severe toxicity. There were some interactions of Li with other elements which resulted in an increase of them in both leaf and stem tissues. Barley plants (Hordeum vulgare L. C.V. Atlas 57) were severely stunted when grown with 500 and 1000 ..mu..g Li/g soil as Li oxalate. Increasing the soil pH even further with lime and decreasing it with S had no influence on the toxicity. Shoot concentrations of Li ranged from 800 to over 2000 in the various treatments resulting in severe disruption of the Ca and K balance. Leaf concentrations of Li were higher than those for stems in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L. C.V. Acala 442). Cotton was tolerant of a leaf concentration of 587 ..mu..g Li/g. High levels of Li increased concentrations of several elements in cotton leaves and in stems. Cotton leaves accumulated more Li than did bush beans.
- Research Organization:
- Univ. of California, Los Angeles
- OSTI ID:
- 7287163
- Journal Information:
- Commun. Soil Sci. Plant Anal.; (United States), Vol. 8:9
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES
BARLEY
CONTAMINATION
COTTON PLANTS
EDTA
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
LITHIUM
TOXICITY
PHASEOLUS
CALCIUM
LEAVES
PLANT STEMS
POTASSIUM
PRODUCTIVITY
ROOTS
SOILS
SULFUR
ZINC
ALKALI METALS
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
AMINO ACIDS
BIOMASS
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
CEREALS
CHELATING AGENTS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
GRAMINEAE
GRASS
LEGUMINOSAE
METALS
NONMETALS
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PLANTS
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
510200* - Environment
Terrestrial- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)
553000 - Agriculture & Food Technology