Oxygen requirement of root meristems in diploid and autotetraploid rye

摘要

The oxygen requirement of the root meristems of diploid and tetraploid rye seedlings has been determined. It was found that the polyploid seedlings require 40–50 per cent higher oxygen concentration at the root surface than the diploid seedlings for normal (maximum) respiration in the temperature interval 15–30° C. The critical oxygen concentration, when respiring air atmosphere, occurred at about 22° C in the diploid meristem and at about 15° C in the tetraploid meristem. A hypothesis is presented according to which the radial oxygen diffusion into the root meristems is one of the factors determining the geographical distribution of polyploid plant species.