MULTITRACER STUDY ON TRANSPORT AND DISTRIBUTION OF METAL-IONS IN PLANTS

Transport and distribution of metal ions in rice and soybean plants we re studied using multitracers produced by irradiating an Au target by 135 MeV/nucleon C-12,N-14, or O-16 ions accelerated by RIKEN Ring Cycl otron. The multitracer consisted of radioisotopes of the following ele ments: Be, Na, Sc, Mn, Fe, Co, Zn, Se, Rb, Sr, Y, Zr, Nb, Ag, Te, Ba, Ce, Pm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Tm, Yb, Lu, Hf, Ir, and Pt. Rice and soybean plant s were grown in a nutrient solution and also on soil containing a mult itracer. gamma-ray spectroscopy of different parts of the plants showe d that all the elements were more or less taken up by roots, while app reciable transport to leaves and seeds was observed only for Mn, Zn, S e, Rb, Sr, and Ba.