Effects of low aluminum activity in nutrient solutions on the organic acid concentrations in maize plants

The effects of low aluminum (Al) activity in nutrient solution on the concentrations of organic acids in two cultivars of maize (Zea mays L.), HS7777 Al‐sensitive and C525‐M Al‐tolerant, were studied. Aluminum stress increased total organic acid concentration in the roots and in the shoots for both cultivars. The relative increase of t‐aconitic, citric, formic, malic, and quinic acids was higher in the roots than in the shoots for both cultivars. The concentrations of c‐aconitic, isocitric, malonic, oxalic, and succinic organic acids were reduced by Al stress, principally for C525‐M. There were no consistent differences in organic acid concentrations between the cultivars to discriminate Al tolerance. The Al tolerance for C525‐M may be justified by lower Al concentrations in the root tips where cellular division takes place and/or by higher excretion of organic acids from roots to the rhizosphere for detoxification of Al by chelation.     

Differential tolerances of oat cultivars to aluminum in nutrient solutions and in acid soils of Poland

Aluminum tolerant oat cultivars are needed for use on acid soil sites where neutralization of soil acidity by liming is not economically feasible. Oat germplasm in Poland has not been examined for range of Al tolerance. Eleven Polish oat cultivars were screened for Al tolerance in nutrient solutions containing 0, 5 and 15 mg L^‐1 Al. Three of these cultivars showing high to moderate tolerance to Al in nutrient solutions were also grown in greenhouse pots of soil and in field plots of soil over a pH range of 3.8 to 5.5 as determined in 1 N KC1.

The eleven oat cultivars differed significantly in tolerance to Al in nutrient solutions. Based on relative root yield (15 mg L^‐1 Al/no A1%), the cultivars ‘Solidor’ and ‘Diadem’ were most tolerant and ‘Pegaz’ and ‘B‐20’ were least tolerant. For these three cultivars, the order of tolerance to acid soil agreed with the order of tolerance to Al in nutrient solution ‐ namely, Solidor > Diadem > Leanda. Hence, for these cultivars, the nutrient solution methods used appear adequate for selecting plants that are more tolerant to Al in strongly acid soils. Additional study is needed to assess the value of this method for screening a broad range of germplasm.

Superior tolerance of the Solidor cultivar to acid soil was associated with significantly higher concentrations of N in the grain. Hence, results suggest that selecting for acid soil or Al tolerance may increase N efficiency in oats.     

Aluminum tolerance of two wheat cultivars (Brevor and Atlas66) in relation to their rhizosphere pH and organic acids exuded from roots

Phytotoxicity of aluminum (Al) has become a serious problem in inhibiting plant growth on acid soils. Under Al stress, the changes of rhizosphere pH, root elongation, absorption of Al by wheat roots, organic acids exuded from roots, and some main factors related to Al-tolerant mechanisms have been studied using hydroponics, fluorescence spectrophotometry, and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Two wheat cultivars, Brevor and Atlas66, differing in Al tolerance are chosen in the study. Accordingly, the rhizosphere pH has a positive effect on Al tolerance. Atlas66 (Al-tolerant) has higher capability to maintain high rhizosphere pH than Brevor (Al-sensitive) does. High pH can reduce Al3+ activity and toxicity, and increase the efficiency of exuding organic acids from the roots. More inhibition of root elongation has been found in Brevor because of the exposure of roots to Al3+ solution at low pH. Brevor accumulate more Al in roots than Atlas66 even at higher pH. Al-induced exudation of malic and citric acids has been found in Atlas66 roots, while no Al-induced organic acids have been found in Brevor. These results indicate that the Al-induced secretion of organic acids from Atlas66 roots has a positive correlation with Al tolerance. Comprehensive treatment of Al3+ and H+ indicates that wheat is adversely influenced by excess Al3+, rather than low pH.     

从高山火山灰中提取铝, 铁和有机碳的可供选择的方法

Montane volcanic ash soils contain disproportionate amounts of soil organic carbon and thereby play an often underestimated role in the global carbon cycle.Given the central role of Al and Fe in stabilizing organic matter in volcanic ash soils,we assessed various extraction methods of Al,Fe,and C fractions from montane volcanic ash soils in northern Ecuador,aiming at elucidating the role of Al and Fe in stabilizing soil organic matter(SOM).We found extractions with cold sodium hydroxide,ammonium oxalate/oxalic acid,sodium pyrophosphate,and sodium tetraborate to be particularly useful.Combination of these methods yielded information about the role of the mineral phase in stabilizing organic matter and the differences in type and degree of complexation of organic matter with Al and Fe in the various horizons and soil profiles.Sodium tetraborate extraction proved the only soft extraction method that yielded simultaneous information about the Al,Fe,and C fractions extracted.It also appeared to differentiate between SOM fractions of different stability.The fractions of copper chloride-and potassium chloride-extractable Al were useful in assessing the total reactive and toxic Al fractions,respectively.The classical subdivision of organic matter into humic acids,fulvic acids,and humin added little useful information.The use of fulvic acids as a proxy for mobile organic matter as done in several model-based approaches seems invalid in the soils studied.     

Screening Kentucky bluegrass for aluminum tolerance

Aluminum (Al) toxicity is a growth‐limiting factor in acid soils for many turfgrasses. The genetic diversity among turfgrass cultivars for Al tolerance is not well known. One hundred‐fifty Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) genotypes (cultivars, selections, and breeding lines) belonging to seven ecotypes were selected to screen for Al tolerance under greenhouse conditions using solution culture, sand culture, and an acid Tatum subsoil (Clayey, mixed, thermic, typic, Hapludult). This soil had 69% exchangeable Al and a pH of 4.4. An Al concentration of 320 μM and a pH of 4.0 in a modified 1/4 strength Hoagland nutrient solution was used in solution screening and sand screening. The grasses were seeded and grown four to five weeks before harvesting. Differences were identified among cultivars and the seven ecotypes by measuring relative growth. ‘Battan’, ‘Viva’, and ‘Nassau’ were the most Al‐tolerant cultivars based on the rank average of the three screening methods. Among the seven ecotypes, BVMG, which refers to cultivars such as ‘Baron’, ‘Victa’, ‘Merit’, and ‘Gnome’, were most Al tolerant while Midwest ecotypes, which are frequently referred to as common Kentucky bluegrasses, consistently exhibited the least Al tolerance. The results indicate that the Kentucky bluegrass cultivars vary genetically in Al tolerance and that there is potential to improve such tolerance with breeding and to refine cultivar‐specific management recommendations regarding soil pH.     

Aluminum effects on six wheat cultivars in Kenyan soils

Abstract

Six cultivars of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), Kenya Nyumbu, Kenya Zabadi, Alondra, Kenya Swara, Kenya Tumbili, and Kenya Fahari, were tested for their susceptibility to Al. They were grown in a glasshouse in four Kenyan soils, two of which had high Al, low pH and supported poor field crops, and two of which had higher pH, lower Al and supported healthy field crops. Shoot, root and seed weights, and concentrations of Al, Ca, and Mn in shoots and seeds were determined at harvesting. Significant differences in Al susceptibility between varieties existed, and these differences increased with increasing soil Al. The Al‐susceptibility ratings using a root‐staining procedure for these cultivars reported by earlier workers were not fully confirmed; K. Fahari, rated as “Al‐susceptible”;, performed as well as “Al‐tolerant”; varieties. Greater uptake of Mn by all cultivars seemed to be due to anaerobiosis through poor soil drainage. The marked Al‐susceptibility of K. Swara is probably due to its inability to restrict Al uptake. Further testing of cultivars is necessary under field conditions to confirm their Al‐susceptibility to acidic, high‐Al soils.     

Comparison of aluminum tolerance and phosphate absorption between rape (Brassica napus L.) and Tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum Mill.) in relation to organic acid exudation

Aluminum (Al) tolerance and phosphate absorption in rape and tomato were compared under water culture and field conditions. The relative growth rate in the Al treatment compared with -A1 treatment was similar in the two crops under water culture conditions, while under field conditions, the growth rate was 2- to 3-fold higher in rape than in tomato in spite of the higher Al concentration in the soil solution than in the culture solution. The relative amount of phosphate absorbed in the Al treatment compared with - Al was not appreciably different between rape and tomato under water culture conditions, while under field conditions, it was 3- to 6-fold larger in rape than in tomato. The exudation rate of citric acid by roots was much higher in rape than in tomato. The plant growth, root elongation, and amount of phosphate absorbed in rape were inhibited in the 150 µM Al in the culture solution. However, the inhibition was alleviated by the addition of 200 µM citric acid or 500 µM malic acid. The P concentration in the culture solution decreased by the presence of Al as aluminum phosphate. However, addition of citric and malic acids increased the amount of phosphate released from the precipitated aluminum phosphate. In conclusion, one of the mechanisms for the higher Al tolerance and larger phosphate absorption in rape than in tomato under field conditions was ascribed to the higher concentration of exuded citric acid by Al in the rhizosphere. It was suggested that the exudation of citric acid might contribute to the detoxification of Al and to the increase phosphate availability in the rhizosphere in rape.     

Effect of nodulation with Bradyrhizobium japonicum and Shinorhizobium fredii on xylem sap composition of Peking (Glycine max L. Merr )

Five barley cultivars were grown together in complete, low-P·low-pH and high-Al medium containing only NO₃, only NH₄ or both NO₃ and NH₄ as N sources, respectively using an automatic control system of pH for water culture, and the relationship between the differential Al tolerance and the plant-induced pH change of medium among the barley cultivars was investigated.

The pH of the medium containing only NO₃ as N source tended to increase, whereas the pH of the other media containing only NH₄ or both NO₃ and NH₄ as N sources tended to decrease, but the fluctuations of the medium pH could be maintained within the value of 0.2 pH in the complete medium and within the value of 0.1 pH in the high-Al medium.

Barley cultivars still differed in their Al tolerance in the medium which was continuously stirred and circulated at a constant pH. The pattern of Al tolerance was not affected by the N sources in the medium. The plant-induced pH change of medium for each cultivar was influenced by the N sources in the medium, and was not correlated positively with Al tolerance. The contents of Al and Ca or other nutrient cations in roots were positively correlated with Al tolerance and positive correlations were recognized also between the contents of Al and Ca or some other nutrient cations in the roots.

In conclusion, the following mechanisms are proposed. Al tolerant barley cultivars exclude Al actively outside the plasmalemma of the root cells, and the excluded Al may polymerize and or react with P to form Al precipitates. Consequently, in the Al tolerant barley cultivars the Al content may be low in the root protoplasts, high in the whole root tissues and the contents of Ca or other nutrients may be high in the roots. The plant-induced pH change of medium is not considered to be the cause of the differential Al tolerance among barley cultivars.     

Release of Inorganic Phosphorus from Soils by Low‐Molecular‐Weight Organic Acids

Abstract

Low‐molecular‐weight (LMW) organic acids are found in soils. They originate from the activities of various microorganisms in soils or may be exuded from the roots of living plants. Several of those organic acids are capable of forming stable organo‐metal complexes with various metal ions found in soil solutions. As a result, these processes may lead to the release of inorganic phosphorus (P) associated with aluminum (Al), iron (Fe), and calcium (Ca) in soil minerals. The release of P from soils by LMW organic acids may be important to the P nutrition of plants. Studies on the release of P from soils by a variety of LMW organic acids showed that, in general, the di‐ and tricarboxylic acids were the most effective in releasing P from two Iowa soils, whereas the monocarboxylic, phenolic, and mineral acids released similar amounts of P. Oxalic, malonic, citric, and, in some cases, malic and tartaric acids were the most effective in releasing inorganic P from the two surface soils studied. There was an inverse relationship between the amounts of P released from soils and the pK_a values of the organic acids. The amounts of P released from soils were significantly correlated with the published stability constants for the formation of organic complexes of Al, Fe, or Ca (log K_Al, log K_Fe, or log K_Ca values). In general, the aliphatic acids containing α‐caboxyl and β‐hydroxyl functional groups or phenolic acids containing ortho‐hydroxyl groups were more effective in causing the release of P from soils than similar organic acids having other functional group combinations.     

Aluminum toxicity and high bulk density: Role in limiting shoot and root growth of selected aluminum indicator plants and eastern gamagrass in an acid soil

Abstract

Shallow rooting and susceptibility to drought are believed to be caused, at least in part, by strongly acidic (pH <5.5, 1:1 soil‐water), aluminum (Al)‐toxic subsoils. However, this hypothesis has not been clearly confirmed under field conditions. The Al toxicity hypothesis was tested on a map unit of Matawan‐Hammonton loam (0–2% slope) on unlimed and limed field plots (pH range 5.1 to 5.8) at Beltsville, MD, during 1994 to 1998. Aluminum‐tolerant and sensitive pairs of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), wheat [Triticum aestivum (L.)], snap bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), and soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] cultivars were used as indicator plants. Eastern gamagrass [Tripsacum dactyloides (L.) L.], cultivar ‘Pete’, reported to tolerate both chemical and physical stress factors in soils, was grown for comparison. Shoots of Al‐sensitive ‘Romano’ snap beans showed a significant response to liming of the 0–15 cm surface layer, but those of Al‐tolerant ‘Dade’ did not, indicating that Al toxicity was a growth limiting factor in this acid soil at pH 5.1. Lime response of the Al‐tolerant and sensitive cultivars of barley, wheat, and soybean were in the same direction but not significant at the 5% level. Aluminum‐tolerant and sensitive cultivars did not differ in abilities to root in the 15–30 cm soil depth. Only 9 to 25% of total roots were in this layer, and 75 to 91% were in the 0–15 cm zone. No roots were found in the 30–45 cm zone which had a pH of 4.9. Soil bulk density values of 1.44 and 1.50 g cm^?3 in the 15–30 and 30–45 cm zones, respectively, indicated that mechanical impedance was a primary root barrier. Results indicated that restricted shoot growth and shallow rooting of the Al‐indicator plants studied in this acid soil were due to a combination of Al toxicity and high soil bulk density. Confounding of the two factors may have masked the expected response of indicator plants to Al. These two growth restricting factors likely occur in many, if not most acid, problem subsoils. Studies are needed to separate these factors and to develop plant genotypes that have tolerance to multiple abiotic stresses. Unlike the Al indicator cultivars, eastern gamagrass showed high tolerance to acid, compact soils in the field and did not respond to lime applications (pH 5.1–5.8).     

Participation of silicon in cation‐anion balance as a possible mechanism for aluminum and iron tolerance in some gramineae

Abstract

Silicon (Si) has been suggested as a factor in aluminum (Al) tolerance of some species of the gramineae when grown on acid soils. Silicon concentrations are generally much higher in monocot plants than in dicot plants, and the phenomenon is related to the fact that mineral cation:mineral anion uptake ratio is much higher in dicots than in monocots. When large amounts of anionic Si, supposedly as sulfate (SO₄ ^4‐), participate in cation‐anion balance to add to the excess of anion uptake, equivalent amounts of hydroxyl ions should be expelled from roots which can increase rhizosphere pH and decrease uptake of Al and iron (Fe). The magnitude of OH^? released by roots for a 5000 kg/ha crop with an excess uptake of 1% Si can be equivalent to 357 kg lime per hectare. This could be very significant in decreasing Al and Fe uptake from acid soils when localized in the rhizosphere. Success of agriculture on highly acid soils may be enhanced by use in a rotation of crops and cultivars that have the ability to accumulate Si.     

不同小麦基因型耐铝性的差异及筛选方法的研究

采用了大体积溶液培养法、培养皿快速鉴定法和小盆钵土培筛选法对小麦基因型进行了耐铝性筛选。供试的 24个小麦基因型的耐铝性存在极显著的差异。所采用的各项筛选指标间呈极显著的正相关 ,且都能不同程度地区分基因型间的耐铝性差异。其中相对根长的SD、CV及分布范围最大 ,可以灵敏、可靠地反映不同基因型的耐铝性差异 ;其次是相对根系干重 ;相对株高和相对地上部干重的SD、CV及分布范围较小 ,反映基因型间耐铝性差异的灵敏度较低。 3种筛选方法能克服传统筛选方法如小体积溶液培养、土培和田间试验的繁琐、费时和筛选效率低等缺点 ,具有快速简便 ,一次可筛选较多样本 ,且条件易于控制等优点 ,大大地提高了筛选的可靠性和筛选效率。     

Molecular Aspect of Al Tolerance in Crop Plants: Novel Al-Activated Malate Transporter Gene in Wheat Roots

Aluminum (Al) is a major element in the soil; 30–40% of arable land is acidic. Solubilized Al ion in acid soils inhibits root elongation. Intensive research on the Al tolerance mechanism has been conducted in the past few decades. Mechanism of Al tolerance can be classified into Al exclusion mechanism and intracellular tolerance mechanism. Efflux of organic acids from roots upon receiving the Al signal is the major Al exclusion mechanism. Efflux of organic acids through the channel in the plasma membrane was confirmed, and the gene specifically encoding malate transporter in Al-tolerant wheat was discovered recently. The regulatory mechanism in the efflux of organic acids upon protein phosphorylation may be operative. The production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and their scavenging system are thought to be important in the intracellular tolerance mechanism.     

Detection of aluminium tolerance plasmids and microbial diversity in the rhizosphere of plants grown in acidic volcanic soil

The rhizosphere is considered as a hot-spot for gene exchange among bacteria in terrestrial ecosystems. Chilean volcanic soils are characterized by low pH and high concentrations of aluminium (Al) in the soil solution, thus Al tolerance could be important for the survival of microorganisms in these soils; loss of genes encoding for Al tolerance may affect competitiveness particularly in the rhizosphere where competition is strong. The occurrence of Al-tolerance plasmids was investigated in the rhizospheres of pasture and crop plants growing in acidic volcanic soils from southern Chile. Al tolerance plasmids were captured by biparental mating. Two types of Al tolerance plasmids could be distinguished, based on their endonuclease restriction pattern. One plasmid of each group (denoted as pRPA21 and pOPA21) was selected for further studies. The plasmids showed a high stability in presence and absence of Al. Additionally, microbial community composition in the rhizosphere soils was assessed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). Sequencing of DGGE bands revealed among others, members of the bacterial phylum Gemmatimonadetes and archaeal phylum Crenarchaeota. The present study shows that the rhizosphere of pasture and crop plants growing in Chilean volcanic soil harbors genetic mobile elements which could play a role in the adaptation of bacterial populations to environmental stressors, such as Al-toxicity.     

Adapting the Profile Model to Calculate the Critical Loads for East Asian Soils by Including Volcanic Glass Weathering and Alternative Aluminum Solubility System

Adaptation of the steady-state soil chemistry model PROFILE was studied, on the following two parts, to calculate the critical loads for East Asian soils: (1) Dissolution rate coefficients of volcanic glass were derived from published experimental data, and calculated field weathering rate was compared with the rate estimated based on Sr isotope analysis. When BET surface area of sand fraction was regarded as mineral surface area, the calculated rates fairly agreed with the estimate, suggesting that sand fraction surface area is a reasonable estimate of weatherable mineral surface area of volcanic soils. (2) In repeated leaching experiments, Al solubility of a number of Japanese soils was explained by a model which assumed complexation of Al to soil organic matters. Such an Al solubility model is more appropriate for predicting soil chemistry than apparent gibbsite dissolution equilibrium.     

Magnetic resonance imaging of absorbed aluminum in alfalfa roots

An estimated 30% of the world's arable soils are acidic and aluminum (Al) toxicity is often the primary growth‐limiting factor. Excess Al is especially undesirable in sub‐soils because it reduces rooting depth and branching and predisposes plants to drought injury. Liming the plow layer does not generally neutralize subsoil phytotoxicity and Al‐tolerant cultivars offer an alternative or supplemental solution to the problem. Genetic diversity for acid soil tolerance in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is limited and a better understanding of the basic tolerance mechanisms would facilitate the design of more efficacious breeding procedures. Evidence is accumulating that organic acids and proteins elicited by Al stress may complex and detoxify Al either within, or external to, the root. Because Al is a paramagnetic element that can reduce T2 relaxation times (inter‐proton interactions) markedly, the mechanism of Al tolerance in alfalfa was investigated through T2‐based Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of young lateral root sections of an Al‐sensitive and an Al‐tolerant alfalfa clone grown in nutrient solution (0 or 111 μmol Al; pH 4.5). Root sections that developed under phytotoxic levels of Al accumulated considerable Al in the epidermis and internal root tissue. Aluminum may have been complexed by low molecular weight proteins and organic acids in the tolerant clone whereas the sensitive clone appeared to have abundant free Al; however, variation among replications indicates that free Al may still have been present in tolerant roots and that other tolerance mechanisms may also be important. Root buds accumulated little Al compared to the remainder of the root, indicating that the pronounced effects of Al on lateral root development are indirect. Magnetic Resonance Imaging images evaluated in this study provided clues to the basic mechanisms of Al tolerance in alfalfa and, with further refinement, could be used as one criterion for selecting Al‐tolerant plants.     

Saprophytic soil microflora in relation to yield reductions in soil repeatedly cropped with barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)

Summary The yield-depressing effect due to repeated cropping (monoculture) of barley reported from long-term field experiments was observed as a reduction in plant growth in short-term pot experiments. The nature of the monoculture effect was investigated by mixing field soils with different cropping histories in different proportions in the greenhouse, while the influence of rhizosphere microflora from the monocultured and crop rotation soils on barley growth was studied in gnotobiotic experiments. Indigenous bacterial populations and the pH of the test soils were also measured. Significantly more bacteria were found in the crop rotation soil compared to the monocultured soil, but the two soils did not differ in pH. Greenhouse experiments showed that in the monocultured soil, seed germination was delayed and plant dry weight reduced, and that these effects had a biological origin. Attempts were also made to induce the monoculture effect in the crop rotation soil by inoculation with known harmful bacteria. The results from the experiments with mixed soils and with soil inoculation indicated that where crop rotation was practised the soil was more sensitive to bacterial effects than the monocultured soil. The rhizosphere microflora from the monocultured soil did not affect plant weights in short-term gnotobiotic experiments, but it significantly stimulated the number of lateral roots compared with the crop rotation microflora. This stimulation could not be related to differences in bacterial counts, pH, or ion concentrations in the plant-growing medium.     

Tolerance of Australian wheat varieties to aluminium toxicity

Abstract

This paper reports the reaction of 24 Australian wheats and 16 overseas cultivars to high aluminium (Al) in solution culture. These results are compared with those from a rapid haematoxylin stain test. The relationship between the haematoxylin stain test results and performance in the field was also determined.

The dry matter yields in solution culture confirmed tolerances previously reported for the non‐Australian cultivars, with only two exceptions. The Australian varieties vary in tolerance but none were as tolerant as those from Brazil. The tolerances of the Australian varieties were not related to the breeding origins of the varieties. Exposure to Al in solution differentially reduced the concentration of calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and phosphorus (P) in both shoots and roots. The more Al‐tolerant varieties were less affected.

The results obtained in solution culture and in the haematoxylin stain test generally agreed, but more differences between varieties were noted in solution culture results. The haematoxylin stain test was then used to classify cultivars and advanced lines in the breeding programme, and the results were compared with yield performance on acid (8 sites) and non‐acid soils (20 sites). The lines in haematoxylin class 4 had a 20% yield advantage over the acid sites.

We concluded that tolerance was useful in the field, that the haematoxylin stain test is useful as a rapid preliminary assessment of Al tolerance, and that the prospect of breeding cultivars with improved tolerance was rewarding.     

几种禾本科作物对铝的敏感性或耐性

通过调查几种禾本科作物根的伸长，根尖的铝含量、铝诱导其根系有机酸的分泌，探讨作物耐铝（铝敏感）性及作物对铝毒害的抵御机理。结果表明，水稻、黑麦是耐铝的作物，而大麦、小麦（Scout 66)是对铝敏感的作物，玉米和高梁对铝敏感性较小麦弱。小麦和玉米品种间对铝的敏感性差异显著，而高梁对铝的敏感性品种间差异性较小。铝能够诱导水稻、黑麦和耐铝的玉米及小麦品种的根系分泌柠檬酸和/或苹果酸。这表明铝诱导有机酸的分泌是它们抵御铝毒害的机理。     

Screening wheat and sorghum cultivars for aluminum sensitivity at low aluminum levels

Screening cultivars for aluminum (Al) tolerance is often conducted in acid soils or in complete nutrient solutions. The former method lacks precise measurements of Al, and the second requires high Al concentrations because of precipitation and chelation of the Al and is less representative of the actual environmental stresses to which plants must adapt. These experiments were designed to determine Al tolerance of wheat (Triticum aestivum L. em Thell) and sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) using incomplete solutions with very low Al concentrations. Six wheat and five sorghum cultivars were screened for Al tolerance in solution culture with 0 to 10 μM Al and only Ca, K, Mg, NO₃, and Cl in the solutions. Plants were subjected to the solutions for 4 d, and the change in relative root length was measured. Solution Al levels and pH were measured after the termination of the experiments. ‘Atlas’ 66 and ‘Stacy’ were the most tolerant wheat cultivars ('Atlas 66’ = ‘Stacy’ ≥ ‘Monon’ ≥ ‘Scout 66’ ≥ ‘Arthur 71’ = ‘Oasis'). The wheat cultivars were effectively separated on a genetic response basis at 2 μM Al. Sorghum cultivars were uniform in their Al tolerance, but did show some separation at 1 μM Al (SC56 > Tx430 > ‘Funk GS22DR’ > SC283 = SC599). The pH and Al variations did not account for any of the differences observed, indicating that root length differences were caused by genetic control of response to high Al.