2009 Volume 14 Issue 4 Pages 247-250
In this study, we discuss the effects of biodegradable chelators on the bioavailability of iron and the growth of radish sprouts. In alkaline soils, iron exists as hardly soluble states of hydrated oxide. In experiments at pH 10, iron moved into the upper layer (without iron) from the bottom layer (with iron) of the medium, and the mobility depended on the chelators. The content of iron in the upper layer of the medium was 7.0 % of the total iron in the medium without chelators, and 17.3 % in the medium with HIDS. These results suggest that chelators can dissolve the hardly soluble iron hydroxide species in alkaline conditions, increase the mobility of iron, and increase plant growth.
