Related Characteristics and Multivariate Analyses in the Evaluation of White Oat Aluminum Tolerance

Standard white oat genotypes were subjected to different methods and aluminum (Al) levels under hydroponic conditions to verify the relationship between plantlet characteristics and their Al tolerance using multivariate analyses. A completely randomized design with three replications was used, adopting three evaluation protocols: “complete nutrient solution” with 0, 8, 16, and 32 mg L^?1 of Al supplied as aluminum sulfate Al₂(SO₄)₃·18H₂O]; “complete nutrient solution” with 0, 8, 16 and 32 mg L^?1 of Al supplied as aluminum chloride (Al₂Cl₃?6H₂O); and the “minimum nutrient solution” with 0, 1, 3, and 5 mg L^?1 of Al supplied as Al₂Cl₃?6H₂O. The performance of white oat plantlet genotypes subjected to excess Al in hydroponic conditions is greatly associated with root length, where the nutrient solution composition and the Al sources interfere in these associations. The study based on the joint analysis of characteristics at plantlet level does not allow an efficient discrimination of Al-tolerant and Al-sensitive white oat genotypes.