Influence of pH on the Uptake of Phosphate by Barley Plants in Sterile and Non-sterile Conditions

Abstract

I HAVE shown^1,2 that the uptake of phosphate by intact barley plants, particularly from solutions of low concentration, is greatly influenced by the presence of micro-organisms on and around the roots. The complete exclusion of micro-organisms reduces the quantity of phosphate incorporated into nucleic acids arid other complex organic compounds in the root and causes a much greater transfer to the shoot. Similar effects of micro-organisms on the incorporation of phosphate have been shown by other workers^3,4 although the distribution of phosphate within the plants may vary depending on the conditions of the experiments⁵.