Abstract: The hydroponics experiments were conducted to verify a hypothesis of the specific property of rice which iron plaque can be induced on the rice root surface under phosphorus (P) starvation and to investigate the effects of phosphorus deficiency on root morphology and concentrations of some nutrients in different crops (rice, wheat, corn and soybean). The results show that the root colors of wheat, corn and soybean are same in the nutrient solutions with P or without P, which are verified further by the Fe concentrations extracted from root surface using dithionitecitratebicarbonate (DCB) extraction method. There are no significant differences in Fe concentrations of DCB solution between the roots of wheat, corn and soybean (DCB-Fe) under P and P0 situations. Moreover, the iron plaque is observed on the rice root surface under the P starvation and distributed in the space of cell wall unevenly using microscope. DCB-Fe from rice root without P is 1.71 folds of rice root with P, and is 13.2, 6.4 and 8.6 times of those from root surface of corn, wheat and soybean under the P starvation, receptively. These results indicate it is the specific property of rice that iron plaque can be induced on the root surface when grew in nutrient solution without P supply. P starvation for 2 weeks could increase root lengths of the crops. The root lengths of rice, wheat, corn and soybean under the P starvation are increased significantly by 11%, 11%, 20% and 11% compared to those of the P sufficiency, respectively (P0.05). The iron plaque induced by P deficiency on the rice root surface enhances the sequestration of other elements in the plaque, such as Ca, Fe, Mn, Cu and Zn, and could be a buffer or reservoir of nutrient elements into rice roots, especially for Fe. The results show that the Fe concentration in rice roots under the P starvation is higher than that of the P treatment significantly (P0.05), while the shoot-Fe is very low with a proportion of 18% of that under the P application, which suggests iron plaque formation on the rice roots under the P deficiency inhibits the Fe translocation from roots to shoots of rice. In addition, the P starvation does influence the concentrations of other nutrients in roots and shoots of rice. For other crops, the P starvation does not the significant effects on other nutrients levels in roots and shoots. In conclusions, iron plaque induction on root surface under the P starvation is the specific property of rice, and the P deficiency for a short period does not influence the uptake and translocation of K, Ca, Fe, Mn, Cu and Zn of wheat, corn and soybean.