Influencia del aluminio sobre el crecimiento de la raíz en coliflor (Brassica oleracea L., var. Botrytis, Hib. ‘Nevada f1’)

Abstract

Approximately 40–50% of the world’s potentially arable soils are acidic and aluminum (Al) toxicity has been recognized as one of the most important limiting factors of plant productivity on acidic soils. Vegetables, as cauliflower (Brassica oleracea L., var. Botrytis) are grown in Colombia frequently on acidic soils. A greenhouse experiment was conducted at Tunja, Colombia to determine the relationship between the (Ca+Mg+K)/Al ratio and root development. The main goal of this work was to study the root growth and the titrable acidity measured in the nutrient solution, where cauliflower seedlings grow, exposed to high aluminum concentrations. Plantlets were grown in 150 mL plastic containers with nutrient solution. Treatments were (Ca+Mg+K)/Al ratio equivalent to 1, 0.7, and 0.5 in the nutrient solution. To the growth solution of the control plantlets was Al was added. After 34 days of transplanting, total root length, pH and titrable acidity of the nutrient solution were measured. The root length was strongly reduced by Al. pH and the titrable acidity measured in the nutrient solution depended on Al concentration. While the titrable acidity increased as Al concentration was higher, pH of the nutrient solution decreased. Results showed that roots of cauliflower plantlets are sensitive to Al toxicity.