Summary
The rate of root exudation of maize plants was estimated by measuring the rate of denitrification in a hermetically sealed root system. While CO2 production measured in the rhizosphere results both from root respiration and microbial respiration N2O production during nitrate respiration is solely related to the amount of root exudates available for bacterial degradation. With 4 week old plants growing in quartz sand or soil root exudation amounted to 7% of the net photosynthates. Calculations revealed that about 25% of the organic matter flowing into the root system was excreted into the rhizosphere.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
D'Ans Lax 1967 Taschenbuch für Chemiker und Physiker, 3. Aufl. Vol. 1, pp 1203–5, Springer Verlag, Heidelberg, New York.
Dietz T 1974 Bodenkarte von Bayern, 1:25000, Erläuterungen zum Blatt Nr. 6035 Bayreuth, Bayerisches Geologisches Landesamt.
Martin J K 1977 Factors influencing the loss of organic carbon from wheat roots. Soil Biol. Biochem. 9, 1–7.
Matsumoto H, Okada K and Takahashi E 1979 Excretion products of maize roots from seedling to seed development stage. Plant and Soil 53 17–26.
Paull R E, Johnson C M and Jones R L 1975 Studies on the secretion of maize root cap slime. I) Some properties of the secreted polymer. Plant Physiol. 56, 300–306.
Penning de Vries F W T, Witlage J M and Kramer D 1979 Rates of respiration and of increase in structural dry matter in young wheat, ryegrass and maize plants in relation to temperature, to water stress and to their sugar content. Ann. Bot. 44, 595–609.
Pfenning N 1965In Anreicherungskultur und Mutantnauslese. Ed. H G Schlegel. Gustav Fischer Verlag, Stuttgart, pp 179–190.
Russel R S 1977 Relationship between roots and shootsIn Plant root systems: their function and interaction with the soil. Ed. R S Russel. McGraw-Hill Book Company (UK) Limited, London, New York. pp 9–29.
Sauerbeck D R and Johnen B G 1977 Root formation and decomposition during plant growth.In Soil organic matter studies, Vol II. Ed. International Atomic Energy Agenture, Vienna/Austria. pp 141–148.
Sauerbeck D, Nonnen S and Allard J-L 1981 Assimilateverbrauch und Umsatz im Wurzelraum in Abhängigkeit von Pflanzenart und-anzucht. Landwirtschaftliche Forschung, Sonderheft 37, 207–216.
Schönwitz R, Ziegler H 1982 Exudation of water-soluble vitamins and of some carbohydrates by intact roots of maize seedlings (Zea mays L.) into a mineral nutrient solution. Z. Pflanzenphysiol. 107, 7–14.
Stouthamer A H 1979 The search for correlation between theoretical and experimental growth yields.In International Review of Biochemistry, Microbial Biochemistry, Vol. 21. Ed. J R Quayle. University Park Press, Baltimore, pp 1–47.
Stouthamer A H, Boogerd F C and van Versefeld H W 1982 The bioenergetics of denitrification. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 48, 545–553.
Yoshinari T and Knowles R 1976 Acetylene inhibition of nitrous oxide reduction by denitrifying bacteria. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 69, 705–710.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Haller, T., Stolp, H. Quantitative estimation of root exudation of maize plants. Plant Soil 86, 207–216 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02182895
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02182895