Studies of the growth and mineral nutrition of barley varieties. II. Potassium uptake and its regulation

Short-term K+ (86Rb) influx and its regulation by root K+ concentration was studied in barley varieties, using plants grown in complete nutrient solution at constant concentrations. The varieties employed in this study exhibited substantial differences not only in K+ influx but also in the intensity and the pattern of regulation of K+ influx. In the high-potential growth-rate varieties these K+ uptake characteristics were found to correlate well with their growth responses to K+ supply reported earlier by Siddiqi and Glass. Predictions of K+ influx, based upon kinetic constants and internal K+ concentrations derived from steady-state growth experiments, were found to correspond well with the observed fluxes for plants grown under these conditions over a wide range of root K+ concentrations. These predictions also provided good estimates of influx in CaSO4-grown plants for intermediate levels of root K+ concentration. However, at low root K+ concentration, predictions greatly overestimated observed fluxes, while at high root K+, influx was underestimated. Similarly, when kinetic constants derived from CaSO4-grown plants (whose root K+ concentrations were increased by rapid loading) were applied to steady-state plants, predicted influx values were close to observed in the intermediate range of root K+ concentration. However, at high root K+, influx was overestimated. These adjustments serve, in the steady state, to maintain tissue K+ concentration within rather narrow limits.