Genotypic differences in the response of sugar beet plants to replacement of potassium by sodium

Abstract

The effect of replacing 50% or 95% of the potassium by sodium on growth and on potassium and sodium levels in three genotypes of sugar beet (MONOHILL; ADA; FIA) has been studied in water culture over a period from 2 to 9 weeks. In all three genotypes there was a preferential uptake of potassium compared to sodium. Nevertheless, at high sodium supply most of the potassium was replaced by sodium, particularly in the leaves. At the same supply the accumulation of sodium in the leaves increased in the following order: ADA < MONOHILL < FIA. Even with high dominance of sodium in the medium, the youngest leaves of FIA held about 0.5 mmol potassium per g dry matter, and potassium was evidently translocated from old leaves to the new growth. Effects of sodium on growth became more important with time. After 9 weeks, 50% replacement of potassium by sodium increased growth of all plant organs of the three genotypes. Replacing 95% of potassium by sodium depressed growth of the storage root in MONOHILL and particularly in ADA, with simultaneous enhancement of leaf growth in the latter. In FIA, however, this treatment further stimulated both leaf and, particularly, storage root growth. Sodium in comparison with potassium increased the sucrose concentration in leaves and storage roots. The highest sucrose concentration in the storage roots of ADA and FIA was obtained in the treatment with 95% sodium. The results demonstrate pronounced genotypic differences in sugar beet with respect to the response to sodium. FIA has the most natrophilic behaviour and might be a promising genotype for breeding programmes for adaptation of sugar beet plants to soils high in sodium.