Inheritance of Differences in Calcium Utilization by Tomatoes under Low-calcium Stress1

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Abstract
Differential plant response to Ca-deficiency stress was investigated by screening 138 tomato lines (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) in nutrient solution at 10 mg of Ca per plant. Dry weight produced during vegetative growth and severity of Ca-deficiency symptoms were used to classify plants as efficient and inefficient. Efficiency in Ca utilization within the plant was defined and expressed as the mg of dry weight produced for each mg of Ca absorbed by a plant (CaER). Three of the most efficient and 3 of the most inefficient lines were selected for additional studies. The efficient lines produced an average of 81% more dry weight than the inefficient lines at 10 mg of Ca. Comparable amounts of dry weight were produced by all lines at 400 mg of Ca per plant. Two factors were responsible for greater dry weight production under Ca-deficiency stress: more efficient utilization of tissue Ca and greater ability to absorb Ca from low-Ca solutions. Inheritance studies indicated that additive gene effects made major contributions to variations in response to low Ca. A simple additive-dominance model was adequate to explain differences in CaER, with additive effects highly significant. Some interallelic interactions appear to be important for total plant dry weight inheritance.

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