Depressed growth of non‐chlorotic vine grown in calcareous soil is an iron deficiency symptom prior to leaf chlorosis

The development of iron deficiency symptoms (growth depression and yellowing of the youngest leaves) and the distribution of iron between roots and leaves were investigated in different vine cultivars (Silvaner, Riparia 1G and SO4) grown in calcareous soils. As a control treatment all cultivars were also grown in an acidic soil. Only the cultivars Silvaner and Riparia 1G showed yellowing of the youngest leaves under calcareous soil conditions at the end of the cultivation period. All cultivars including SO4 showed severe shoot growth depression, by 50 % and higher, before yellowing started or without leaf yellowing in the cultivar SO4. Depression of shoot growth occurred independently from that of root growth. In a further treatment the effect of Fe‐EDDHA spraying onto the shoot growth of the cultivar Silvaner after cultivation in calcareous soil was investigated. Prior to Fe application plants were non‐chlorotic, but showed pronounced shoot growth depression. Spraying led to a significant increase in shoot length, though leaf growth was not increased. Accordingly, depression of shoot growth of non‐chlorotic plants under calcareous soil conditions and with ample supply of nutrients and water has been evidenced to be at least partly an iron deficiency symptom. We suggest that plant growth only partially recovered because of dramatic apoplastic leaf Fe inactivation and/ or a high apoplastic pH which may directly impair growth. Since growth was impaired before the youngest leaves showed chlorosis we assume that meristematic growth is more sensitively affected by Fe deficiency than is chlorophyll synthesis and chloroplast development. In spite of high Fe concentrations in roots and leaves of the vines grown in calcareous soils plants suffered from Fe deficiency. The finding of high Fe concentrations also in young, but growth retarded green leaves is a further indication that iron deficiency chlorosis in calcareous soils is caused by primary leaf Fe inactivation. However, in future, only a rigorous study of the dynamic changes of iron and chlorophyll concentration, leaf growth and apoplastic pH at the cellular level during leaf development and yellowing will provide causal insights between leaf iron inactivation, growth depression, and leaf chlorosis.<?show $6#>     

Determination of Phosphate in Selective Extractions for Soil Iron Oxides by the Molybdenum Blue Method in an Automated Continuance Flow Injection System

Phosphorus (P) mobility and bioavailability in soil depend on the pools in which it resides. The identification of such pools is essential for the full understanding of P behavior in soil. We evaluated the molybdenum-blue ascorbic-acid method in an automated continuous flow injection analyzer (MB-FIA) to analyze P in two selective soil extractions for soil iron oxide (i.e., the acid ammonium oxalate, AAO, and citrate–dithionite, CD, procedures). Uninterrupted development of the color reaction was obtained at citrate and oxalate concentrations less than 50 mM and 35 mM, corresponding to molybdate/citrate and molybdate/oxalate molar ratios of 2.4 and 3.4, respectively. High precision (% RSD, 1.7 ± 1.3% for CD and 2.9 ± 3.7% for AAO), accuracy, and recoveries (105.7 ± 1.0% for CD and 99.8 ± 3.8% for AAO) were obtained. This study demonstrates the utility of the MB-FIA system for the determination of AAO- and CD-extractable inorganic P.