Effect of changing chemical environment on physical properties of maize root mucilage

Abstract

Abstract Aims High viscosity, low surface tension and hydrophobicity are specific properties of maize root mucilage which contribute to modulate the spatial configuration of the liquid phase in soil pores. Several processes in the rhizosphere, in particularly nutrient absorption, root exudation and microbial activity, may cause strong temporal variations in the chemistry of the soil solution of the rhizosphere. Although the physical properties of maize root mucilage have been repeatedly measured in the last years, their variation upon a changing chemical environment and understanding of the chemical mechanisms governing these properties remain unexplored. Methods We investigated how flow and surface properties of maize root mucilage varied by changes in pH, calcium chloride (CaCl2) and lecithin concentrations. Results The physical properties of mucilage can strongly vary depending on the environmental conditions. Low surface tension of maize root mucilage at pH7 was increased by addition of calcium. Upon pH change and lecithin addition, hydrophobic mucilage turned hydrophilic. High Ca concentration above 0.83 mmol Ca (g dry mucilage)−1, the addition of 167 μg lecithin (g dry mucilage)−1 and a pH rise to 9 decreased the viscosity of mucilage. Conclusion Such variations strongly suggest that the role of mucilage in hydraulic processes in the rhizosphere depends on changes of solutes concentration and composition, which themselves vary according to plant growth and soil water content. It seems that mucilage can best serve as a hydraulic bridge only under certain chemical environments, whose spatio-temporal occurrence in the changing rhizosphere remains to be defined.