Influence of Potassium and Sodium on Metabolism of Peanut Cotyledons During Germination

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Abstract
Virginia peanuts were grown in the dark in quartz sand and watered with complete nutrient soln. (+K[long dash]Na), soln. lacking K ([long dash]K+Na), or soln. lacking both K and Na ([long dash]K[long dash]Na). Cotyledons were harvested at 7 and again at 15 days from planting. At 7 days carbohydrates were more, and lipids and crude protein less, abundant in[long dash]K + Na than in +K[long dash]Na cotyledons. Cotyledons of plants with[long dash]K[long dash]Na soln. had more lipid at both 7 and 15 days than those with other treatments. Total dry wt. of plants at both 7 and 15 days was less with[long dash]K+Na than with +K[long dash]Na, indicating higher respiratory rate owing to K deficiency. More rapid utilization of storage protein under[long dash]K+Na conditions is attributed to low K availability for catalysis of nitrate reduction. No evidence of interference with trans -location was associated with K deficiency. It is suggested that K may have a specific role in protecting storage lipid from cotyledonary lipase. Na may to a certain extent alleviate K deficiency.