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Interactions Between Potassium and Calcium in Their Absorption by Intact Barley Plants. I. Effects of Potassium on Calcium Absorption ¹

Department of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, Institute of Agriculture, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Western Australia 6009

Increasing concentrations of K (20, 200, 2000 µM) in the nutrient solution depressed Ca content and concentration in barley plants growing in nutrient solutions of low Ca concentrations (250 and 2500 µM). Increasing K from 20 to 200 µM depressed Ca absorption more than increasing K from 200 to 2000 µM K.

The strong depression of Ca absorption by low concentrations of K must involve a different process from that studied by other workers at high concentrations of K. Since the depression in net absorption of Ca was as great at 250 as at 2500 µM Ca the results fail to support previous suggestions that a specific mechanism for Ca absorption operates at low Ca concentrations. It is suggested that, at the low concentrations of K and Ca likely to be found at the root surface in many soil solutions, the above mentioned effect of K in inhibiting Ca absorption may be important in the Ca nutrition of plants.

¹ This work was supported by the Australian Research Grants Committee.