Adventitious roots, leaf abscission and nutrient status of flooded Gmelina and Tectona seedlings

When flooded, seedlings of Gmelina arborea Roxb. produced more adventitious roots, had lower foliar Mn concentrations and lost fewer leaves than seedlings of Tectona grandis L.f. Severing the adventitious roots produced by flooded Gmelina seedlings increased leaf Mn concentration and leaf abscission and reduced whole-plant dry matter production. Flooded Gmelina cuttings, which do not produce adventitious roots, abscised few leaves until foliar concentrations of Mn and Fe had risen substantially above those of unflooded cuttings, at which time most leaves were shed. The results indicate that the development of adventitious roots in flooded seedlings of Gmelina suppressed uptake of Mn thereby minimizing leaf abscission.