Effect of Aluminum on Copper Sorption by Wheat¹

Synopsis The uptake of copper by excised wheat roots was inhibited by the presence of low concentrations of aluminum in the substrate. No evidence was obtained to indicate that copper and aluminum were competing for a common ion carrier involved in active accumulation. The inhibition tended to be overcome by higher levels of copper concentrations, suggesting that aluminum and copper were competing for common binding sites at or near the root surface.