Growth response of cabbage plants to beryllium and strontium under water culture conditions

Cabbage plants (B. oleracea L. var. capitata L.) were grown for 37 days in culture solutions containing 4 levels (0, 0.5, 5, 25 ppm) of beryllium or strontium with a low or high supply (20 or 200 ppm) of calcium, and the effects of the cations supplied on the growth of the plants were studied.

The total dry weights of the plants decreased successively with increasing levels of Be and Sr in the culture solution, concurrfnt with an increase in the contents of each cation in the plants. The decrease in the yield (dry weight of inner leaves) was most pronounced in the Be treatment with the low Ca supply. The critical contents of Be and Sr which resulted in a 50% decrease in the yield due to the excess injury were estimated to be about 0.0006 and 0.4% on a dry basis in the outer leaves and 0.3 and 0.4% in the roots, respectively, regardless of the Ca supply.