| We conducted experiments designed to assess whether plants can be grown under conditions of low ionic strength simulating natural soil conditions. Wheat (Triticum aestivum, cv. Atlas 66) plants were grown using ten different relative nutrient addition rates (RAR) of nutrients (0.00, 0.06, 0.09, 0.12, 0.15, 0.18, 0.21, 0.24, 0.27, and 0.30 day-1) with a background solution containing 50 µmol.L-1 N and all other essential nutrients in optimal proportions relative to N. The relative growth rate (RGR) of plants over a 19-day experimental period responded directly to RAR (from 0.06 to 0.21 day-1) with a linear slope of 0.56 and an intercept of 0.085 day-1. Solution electrical conductivity (EC) values remained relatively stable over the experimental period. We... |
