Evidence for solution flow in the phloem of willow

Sucrose specific mass transfer measurements were made in a translocating willow shoot (Salix viminalis L.) by a steady state labelling technique and the translocate sucrose specific activity, concentration and velocity monitored by analysis of the honeydew from two colonies of the willow aphid Tuberolachnus salignus Gmelin. The values of sucrose SMT obtained were related to the simultaneous measurements of translocate concentration and velocity and to the gradients of sucrose concentration within the stem transport path to determine if transport was a bulk flow or a diffusional analogue. Estimates of potassium ion concentration in the sieve tubes were made, using aphid honeydew, and related to the sucrose SMT measured simultaneously. Correlations were found between translocate concentration, velocity and SMT which suggested that solution flow was occurring rather than a process analogous to diffusion. Evidence was obtained that velocity of flow was a valid concept and that the measured velocity was being lowered by leakage of tracer from the sieve tubes. The analysis of potassium concentration suggested that if solution flow was occurring then potassium must be very exchangeable down the transport path. A good correlation was observed between the SMT of sucrose and the combined gradient of sucrose and potassium concentration, though this gradient was in the opposite direction to transport in some cases.