Root-uptake of iodine by rice plants from two different soil types was
studied using an I-125 tracer. At harvest, the I-125 concentration wa
s lowest in brown rice (hulled rice) followed by the rachis, stem and
leaves. The transfer factors of iodine for brown rice grown on Andosol
and Gray lowland soil (fine texture) respectively were 0.007 and 0.00
2. The ratio of the radioiodine concentrations between flag leaf (firs
t leaf blade) and brown rice was about 400. Transfer factors in plants
grown on Andosol were higher than those grown on Gray lowland soil. T
his may be related to the high I-125 concentration in the Andosol soil
solutions, particularly after the flowering period. The adsorption an
d desorption of iodine in the soil was effected by flooding with water
and also by the cultivation of rice plants. The radioiodine concentra
tion in the soil solutions first increased in the upper soil layer the
n in the lower layer. The desorption pattern of iodine was influenced
by the soil types.