Techniques for observing phosphorus mobilization in the rhizosphere

Summary The techniques described here were developed to visualize the dissolution of sparingly soluble calcium phosphate and the presence of root-borne phosphatase in the rhizosphere. Newly formed calcium phosphate precipitate was suspended in agar containing other essential nutrients. The agar was poured into Petri dishes and acrylglass boxes and was used as a growth medium for seedlings of wheat, rape, buckwheat, and rice. With NH ₄ ⁺ applied as the N source, the precipitate dissolved in the root vicinity and this was attributed to acidification. No dissolution occurred with NO ₃ ^– as the N source. The release of a neutral phosphatase from roots was verified by embedding the roots of young seedlings in agar at pH 7 containing phenolphthalein phosphate. After pH was raised to the alkaline range by adding sodium hydroxide, the agar around the roots turned purple, especially around the roots of P-deprived plants. The most intensive phosphatase activity was found in apical root regions.