tissues (Lott et al., 1995). The observation that the phytin content of seeds is positively correlated with the available soil phosphorus, and that the amount of inorganic phosphate per unit fresh weight of seedling remains relatively constant (Strother, 1980), has given rise to the suggestion that sequestering of phosphate in phytin is a means of controlling the inorganic phosphate content of the seed and young seedling.