ALUMINUM PHYTOTOXICITY - A CHALLENGE FOR PLANT SCIENTISTS

Breeding for Al tolerance is considered a useful way to improve crop p erformance on acid soils. However, a successful selection of Al-tolera nt genotypes, which will render high yields on acid soils, requires th e development of screening methods based on the knowledge of Al-toxici ty and Al-tolerance mechanisms. In this paper the present stage of kno wledge on Al phytotoxicity and tolerance is comprehensively reviewed. Special emphasis will be made on primary mechanisms of Al toxicity, th e interactions of Al with membranes, and the role of Ca in the Al-toxi city syndrome.