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Plant uptake of Iron
Roger Miller wrote:
<< It seems like plants must move iron from roots to leaves and shoots in a
chelated form or the iron would precipitate and form iron deposits within
the plant before it got to where the plant needed it.>>
In the case of certain terrestrial woody plants, for example the Pin Oak,
Quercus palustris, the pH of the soil is critical. Iron is "hard to extract"
from calcareous (alkaline) soils, and Pin Oaks require acid soils. In alkaline
soils they develop fatal cases of Iron Deficiency Chlorosis. This is so strong
a requirement that young Pin Oaks that are transplanted into "man made pockets
of acid soils" develop Iron Deficiency Chlorosis as soon as the roots grow out
of the acid soils into the surrounding alkaline soils. This effect is so
strong that you can easily see which roots on which part of the young tree
have grown into the alkaline soils. That side or portion of the entire top of
the tree suddenly develops chlorosis. The Forestry Department at Iowa State
University has tested the tree tissues, and find the iron IS INDEED
PRECIPITATED OUT in the parts of the tree that are "fed" from alkaline soils,
and becomes unavailable to the leaves.
Now, what happens in aquatic plants is a good question, and I have no answers.
I thought the above would prove interesting, hopefully a bit useful.
Cheers!
Jean Olson
JOlson8590 at AOL_com