Factors influencing the loss of organic carbon from wheat roots

Wheat plants were grown in an atmosphere containing ¹⁴CO₂ at temperatures of 10°C or 18°C for periods from 3–8 weeks. The plant roots were maintained under sterile or non-sterile conditions in soil contained in sealed pots which were flushed to displace respired ¹⁴CO₂. The ¹⁴C content of the shoots, roots and soil was measured at harvest. The loss of ¹⁴C from the roots, expressed either in terms of total ¹⁴C recovered from the pots or ¹⁴C translocated to the roots, ranged from 14.3–22.6%, mean 17.3% or 29.2–44.4%, mean 39.2%, respectively. The presence of soil microorganisms significantly increased ¹⁴CO₂ release from the rhizosphere but had no effect on the ¹⁴C content of the soil. Fractionation of 6 m HC1 hydrolysates from sterile and non-sterile soils showed the presence in all soils of material behaving as neutral sugars and amino acids, in quantities representing 5.9–9.2% and 13.4–17.2% of the soil ¹⁴C content for the sugar and amino acid fractions respectively. It is proposed that a major loss of root carbon resulted from autolysis of the root cortex. Root lysis was increased by soil microorganisms, apparently without penetration of the plant cell walls.