Cadmium dynamics in the rhizosphere and Cd uptake of different plant species evaluated by a mechanistic model.

Maize, sunflower,flax, and spinach differed in the accumulation of Cd when grown on a Cd contaminated soil. This was mainly due to the different Cd net influx, In, that varied among species by a factor of up to 30. The objective of this study was to find possible reasons for the different Cd In by using a mechanistic model.

Citramalic acid and salicylic acid in sugar beet root exudates solubilize soil phosphorus.

Background: In soils with a low phosphorus (P) supply, sugar beet is known to intake more P than other species such as maize, wheat, or groundnut. We hypothesized that organic compounds exuded by sugar beet roots solubilize soil P and that this exudation is stimulated by P starvation.

Results: Root exudates were collected from plants grown in hydroponics under low- and high-P availability.