In situ evaluating the availability of soil nutrients has been a challenge. In this study, a new type of Device for Simulating Soil Nutrient Extraction and Plant Uptake (DSSNEPU) and its operating procedures were introduced. The device consists of a sampling tube, a fluid supply system, a low pressure system, a tube sheath and an elution cylinder. The sampling tube was firstly soaked in the solution of 0.5 mol L 1 NaHCO 3 and then buried into soils. The fluid supply system was connected to the sampling tube and the deionized water was supplied. During the period, low pressure system started a vacuum for 3 min every 10 min interval. After extraction, the sampling tube was removed and the nutrients on the sampling tube were eluted with 0.5 mol L 1 HCl. The elution solution was used for nutrient measurement. The amounts of P and K extracted by DSSNEPU reached the maximal values after 4 h. No significant increases of P and K were observed for longer extraction duration. The optimal temperature for extracting P and K was 30 C in this experiment. Extracted P and K were increased by 83.3% and 84.6% with the employment of low pressure system in comparison to those without employing low pressure system. Correlation analysis indicated that P and K extracted by DSSNEPU were highly correlated with those by conventional chemical extraction and by plant uptake. The above results suggest that this device is applicable to assess the availability of nutrients in soils.
Silicon (Si) can enhance the resistance of plants to many abiotic stresses. To explore whether Si ameliorates Fe2+ toxicity, a hydroponic experiment was performed to investigate whether and how Si detoxifies Fe2+ toxicity in rice (Oryza sativa L.) roots. Results indicated that rice cultivar Tianyou 998 (TY998) showed greater sensitivity to Fe2+ toxicity than rice cultivar Peizataifeng (PZTF). Treatment with 0.1 mmol L-1 Fe2+ inhibited TY998 root elongation and root biomass significantly. Reddish iron plaque was formed on root surface of both cultivars. TY998 had a higher amount of iron plaque than PZTF. Addition of Si to the solution of Fe treatment decreased the amount of iron plaque on root surface by 17.6% to 37.1% and iron uptake in rice roots by 37.0% to 40.3%, and subsequently restored root elongation triggered by Fe2+ toxicity by 13.5% in the TY998. Compared with Fe treatment, the addition of 1 mmol L-1 Si to the solution of Fe treatment increased xylem sap flow by 19.3% to 24.8% and root-shoot Fe transportation by 45.0% to 78.6%. Furthermore, Si addition to the solution of Fe treatment induced root cell wall to thicken. These results suggested that Si could detoxify Fe2+ toxicity and Si-mediated amelioration of Fe2+ toxicity in rice roots was associated with less iron plaque on root surface and more Fe transportation from roots to shoots.
