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Title: SORGHUM GENOTYPIC DIFFERENCES IN TOLERANCE TO EXCESS MANGANESE

Author
item MGEMA W G - UNIV. OF NEBRASKA
item Clark, Ralph

Submitted to: Plant and Soil
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/1/1995
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Manganese (Mn) toxicity can be a growth limiting constraint for many plants grown on acid soil. Plant species and genotypes tolerant to excess Mn could help overcome detrimental Mn toxicity effects for plants grown on acid soils with excess Mn. This study describes solution culture methods to screen sorghum genotypes for tolerance to excess Mn. Sorghum generally tolerated high levels of Mn, and wide variability for dry matter yield was noted among 37 genotypes from a broad germplasm base grown with excess Mn. An Al-tolerant standard genotype was sensitive to excess Mn. Wide variability was also noted among tissue culture generated lines derived from a common parent. The laboratory screening results need to be verified in the field.

Technical Abstract: Manganese toxicity can be a growth limiting constraint for many plants grown on acid soil. Plant species/genotypes tolerant to Mn could help overcome detrimental Mn toxicity effects to plants grown on high Mn soils. Thirty-seven sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) genotypes from a broad germplasm base were grown in solution culture (pH 4.5) with 0, 3.0, and 6.0 mM of added Mn above the basic solution (18 uM) to determine genotypic differences in tolerance to excess Mn. Dry matter (DM) was used to evaluate 24-day-old plants (10 days in Mn treatments) for Mn toxicity. Wide variability among genotypes for differential DM was noted at 3.0 and 6.0 mM Mn. Sorghum generally tolerated high levels of Mn. Genotypes showing relatively high tolerance to excess Mn in solution were NB 9040, Wheatland, IS 7180, IS 7755, and IS 7809. Those genotypes showing relatively low tolerance to high Mn were ICA-Nataima, Martin, IS 7173c (SC 283), IS 7321, IS 9187, IS 9785, and IS 9828. IS 7173c, an Al-tolerant standard genotype, was sensitive to high Mn. Wide variability was noted among tissue culture generated lines derived from a common parent. Laboratory screening for tolerance to Mn toxicity tolerance was effective with sorghum, but results need to be verified in the field.