Strontium as a tracer for calcium: uptake, transport and partitioning within tomato plants

Calcium (Ca2+) is a major structural plant nutrient whose low mobility in the phloem causes deleterious nutritional disorders non-transpiring organs. Since strontium (Sr2+) and Ca2+ share many chemical properties, Sr2+ frequently used as tracer to study cycles ecosystems. However, level of agreement between distribution pattern plants debatable, several studies have reported toxic effects Sr2+. Therefore, we investigated uptake rates determine how reliably can be tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.). We conducted six independent experiments various duration: from few hours weeks, hydroponic perlite substrate. treated with either or at equivalent concentrations monitored their accumulation shoot fruits. Under short-term exposure (hours), within were comparable, while long-term (days weeks) 4 mM reduced transpiration biomass accumulation. The effect was more prominent when growth conditions favourable. Nonetheless, accumulated similarly fruit. Surprisingly, deposition fruit cell walls prevented blossom end rot (BER) same degree Ca2+. credibly allocation short-term, making powerful tool factors governing organs, primarily delivery.