Abstract
The pattern of iron deficiency symptoms is different between barley and rice. We examined whether this difference depends on iron acquisition ability due to differential secretion of mugineic acids from roots. Barley and rice, respectively, had an own iron distribution characteristic in plant. In barley the younger and older leaves had similar iron content, but in rice the older leaves had higher iron content than the younger leaves. The iron distribution characteristic was not change when both plants were grown in a same container to compensate mugineic acids secretion. 59Fe pulse label experiment also revealed that rice absorbed a greater amount of iron than barley and that the iron distribution characteristic was not changed. Water soluble iron in leaves was also determined to show biologically available iron. It was considered that differential iron deficiency symptom depended not only on iron acquisition ability but on iron availability and distribution in plant.
