Plant Physiol, November 2002, Vol. 130, pp. 1436-1442

Continuous Measurement of Macronutrient Ions in the Transpiration Stream of Intact Plants Using the Meadow Spittlebug Coupled with Ion Chromatography¹

Biology Department, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9QG, United Kingdom

A method is described for continuous, nondestructive analysis of xylem-borne mineral nutrients in intact transpiring plants. The method uses the xylem-feeding insect the meadow spittlebug (Philaenus spumarius L. [Homoptera: Cercopidae]). This insect will feed from a wide range of plant species and organs. Insect excreta can be collected at all times of the day and night, and its mineral ion content can be analyzed rapidly, and without purification, by ion chromatography. The excreta will have a mineral content virtually identical to that of xylem sap. Cages suitable for containing the insects and collecting excreta from any desired location on plants in both laboratory and greenhouse are described. Even in the greenhouse, evaporation had only a minor effect on the sample ion content. Example results are presented which illustrate dynamics, over several days, in the xylem concentrations of sodium (Na⁺), potassium (K⁺), NH₄⁺, magnesium (Mg²⁺), calcium (Ca²⁺), chloride (Cl), NO₃, PO₄³, and SO₄². These data were collected from young plants growing in pots of compost in the laboratory and from fully mature pepper (Capsicum annuum L. cv Bellboy) plants growing in hydroponics (rockwool) in the greenhouse. This method should facilitate studies of macronutrient uptake and transport in a range of plants and environments.