Solution culture studies on the influence of aluminium on nutrients concentration in wheat seedlings

Nutrient culture experiment was conducted on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) seedlings to evaluate the influence of aluminium on tissue concentration of P, K, Ca, Mg, Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn. Neither Al toxicity symptoms nor reduction in plant dry matter yield were noticed in wheat plant even up to 320 μg ml⁻¹ Al in nutrient solution. Root Al concentrations enhanced with increase in solution Al concentrations, whereas, the reverse was true for shoot. At lower Al treatments (0 to 40 μg ml⁻¹), the change in pH of nutrient solution was quite faster and it increased from initial 4.8 to a maximum of 6.6 depending on the treatments. At higher Al treatments (80 to 320 μg ml⁻¹), the change in pH was, however, slower and it either remained at 4.8 or decreased up to a minimum of 4.4, resulting into higher accumulation of Al in roots. In general, plant tissue concentrations of P, Ca, Mg, Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn were reduced by the increasing solution concentrations of Al, whereas, the reverse was true for K.