Waterlogging and Plant Nutrient Uptake.

Waterlogging affects several parameters that determine nutrient uptake from the soil by the roots. We checked systematically, for all the relevant parameters in the nutrient uptake model by Silberbush and Barber (Plant Soil 74:93–100, 1983), how waterlogging changes the magnitude of the parameter, changes that can be both positive and negative for nutrient uptake. If negative effects can be expected we also describe possible specific adaptive responses that could counter the negative effects on these parameters, of plants exposed to waterlogging. We conclude that although most flooding-tolerant species use a hypoxia-avoidance strategy (i.e. increase the supply of oxygen to the root tissue), increasing root length, facilitating infection by mycorrhizal fungi and modification of uptake kinetics could be used by plants to ameliorate the negative effect of flooding on nutrient uptake