Effects of aluminum on growth and nutrient status of Douglas-fir seedlings grown in culture solution.

Effects of Al on growth, nutrient uptake and proton efflux were studied in Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) seedlings grown for about nine months in culture solutions with a pH between 3.4 and 3.6 and with both calcium and magnesium (Ca + Mg) at a concentration of 0.1, 0.5 or 2.5 mM. In the absence of Al, plant dry matter production and root development increased with increasing concentrations of (Ca + Mg) in the culture solution. At the low and intermediate (Ca + Mg) concentrations, optimal root and shoot development were observed at an Al concentration of 4 mg l(-1). At the highest (Ca + Mg) concentration, Al up to 4 mg l(-1) did not affect growth, but at higher concentrations, it significantly reduced both shoot and root growth. As the concentration of (Ca + Mg) in the nutrient solution increased, the concentrations of Ca and Mg increased in shoots and roots also. The concentrations of Ca and Mg in the roots were unaffected by the presence of Al, whereas in the shoots they were either unaffected, or increased, by Al. Concentrations of Al in, or on, roots, or in shoots, did not change in response to changing concentrations of Ca + Mg in the nutrient medium. In general, concentrations of P and K in shoots and roots were higher in seedlings grown in nutrient solutions containing Al. Stimulation of growth by moderate concentrations of Al, which was observed at suboptimal (Ca + Mg) concentrations, was associated with a low NH(4) preference and a low root proton efflux. The Al-induced increase in internal K concentration and reduction in NH(4) preference may be explained by a lower efflux of K and NO(3), respectively.