Environmental and physiological factors governing nutrient resorption efficiency in barley

Barley plants (Hordeum vulgare cv. stepto) were grown in a greenhouse under two nutrient and water levels and four treatments intended to alter sourcesink relationships, in a factorial experiment designed to study factors governing efficiency of nutrient resorption from senescing leaves. Plant growth was enhanced in high-nutrient treatments, leading to higher concentrations of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in leaves and ears. Water stress reduced growth, but plants in waterstressed treatments had equal or higher nutrient concentrations than watered plants. Nutrient resorption efficiency was higher at low than at high nutrient availability, and was higher in watered than in water-stressed plants. Treatments in which sink strength was increased had enhanced resorption efficiency, as well as those in which the source activity was reduced. Our data show that the amount of nutrient resorbed and the efficiency of the resorption process depend on plant nutrient and water status, and that the presence of an active sink strongly enhances nutrient resorption.