The effect of nitrate nutrition on iron chlorosis and leaf growth in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.)

The objective of this work was to investigate the effects of nutrient solution pH, nitrogen form (NO₃, NH₄NO₃), bicarbonate and different Fe concentrations in the nutrient solution on the Fe concentration in roots and on the development of Fe deficiency symptoms in sunflower plants (Helianthus annuus L.). High pH in the nutrient solution induced by nitrate supply or by a pH-stat device led to increased Fe concentrations in roots and low leaf Fe concentrations associated with a significant decrease in leaf chlorophyll concentration manifested by yellow leaves. Plants of the nitrate fed treatments with 1 μM Fe in the nutrient solution were also characterized by reduced leaf growth and by the suppression of new leaf formation. The reduced leaf growth and the suppression of new leaves only occurred with nitrate and not with NH₄NO₃ in all treatments with 1 μM Fe in the nutrient solution. All symptoms were removed by a high Fe concentration in the nutrient solution (100 μM) at low external pH proving that suppression of leaf formation, reduced leaf growth and low chlorophyll concentration were caused by Fe deficiency. In the nitrate treatment with a low Fe supply (1 μM Fe) and pH 4 in the nutrient solution leaf chlorophyll concentrations similar to the controls were found. In comparison to control plants (NH₄NO₃, 1 μM Fe), leaf growth was still significantly reduced, and new leaf formation was suppressed. The chlorophyll concentration and CO₂ assimilation rate did not differ from those of the control plants. These results show that Fe deficiency is also characterized by small green leaves and the suppression of leaf formation. At the onset of leaf development, leaf growth and new leaf formation may respond more sensitively to poor Fe efficiency than chlorophyll concentration. In experiments with NO₃ plus HCO₃, simulating soil solution conditions prevailing in calcareous soils, the Fe efficiency of the youngest leaves was poor, showing retarded leaf growth and low chlorophyll concentration.     

不同肥力滨海盐土对棉花生长发育和生理特性的影响

以高肥力非盐土和高、低肥力滨海盐土盆栽棉花,研究了盐渍土肥力和盐分对棉花生长发育与生理特性的影响.结果表明,低肥力盐土种植的棉花,在出苗速率、株高增长、叶面积扩展、干物质积累、叶绿素含量和光合速率等方面显著低于高肥力非盐土(对照)的棉花,其中干物质积累和子棉产量分别比对照降低31.7%和20.7%;而低肥力盐土比高肥力盐土种植棉花的干物重和子棉产量则分别降低20.6%和11.8%,说明低肥力盐碱地棉花光合和产量的降低是养分缺乏和盐分胁迫的共同作用.降低土壤盐分含量,不断培肥地力是提高滨海盐渍土棉花产量的重要途径.     

镍胁迫对玉米幼苗氮、磷、钾积累与分配的研究

研究发现吉林省黑土中镍含量逐年增加,造成土壤理化性质恶化和玉米产量、品质降低,因此,了解镍胁迫对玉米植株生长特性的影响有重要意义。采用盆栽试验,研究了不同镍浓度（0、50、100、200、400 mg/kg）胁迫处理下玉米植株各部位的生物量、生物量分配格局以及氮、磷、钾积累和分配特征。结果表明,（1）镍浓度为50 mg/kg时,增加了玉米幼苗根、茎、叶生物量和总生物量,镍浓度大于50 mg/kg时,减少了各部位生物量及总生物量;（2）各部位对镍的吸收和积累随土壤外源镍浓度的增加而增加;（3）镍浓度为50 mg/kg时,增加了各部位的钾含量和根、茎钾的积累比例,而植株中的氮、磷含量随土壤中镍含量的增加呈降低趋势。因此得出,镍浓度为50 mg/kg的处理增加了玉米植株的生物量、根茎叶中钾含量及养分积累,改变了养分在玉米植株内的分配格局,而浓度大于50 mg/kg时抑制了玉米生长,降低了根茎叶中氮和磷的含量及积累。     

梯度滨海盐土对费菜生长指标及Na~+、K~+分布的影响

为探明滨海盐土对费菜生长发育的影响,掌握其盐碱土壤栽植下的耐盐特性,通过3、5、7、9、11 g/kg等5个梯度的滨海盐土处理,对费菜生长指标及Na+、K+分布等进行研究。结果表明,随着盐分升高,株高、分枝、鲜重、干重均减小,≥7 g/kg盐分对费菜生长具有较大抑制,但盐分达到11 g/kg植株仍能继续生长;≥9 g/kg高盐分显著抑制地上干物质积累,对地下部生物量影响明显小于地上部。随着盐分升高,根、茎、叶中Na+的含量有升高的趋势,从部位含量看,茎叶根;随着盐分含量升高,叶中的K+含量逐渐减少,根、茎有升高趋势,从部位看,茎、叶是根的3倍;随着盐分浓度升高,根、茎、叶的Na+/K+比值具升高趋势,≤9 g/kg盐分胁迫下,根保持高Na+/K+比值,是茎、叶的近4倍。低于7 g/kg盐土对费菜影响不大,其耐盐性可能与宿根特性及茎叶结构有关。费菜集食用、园林于一体,由于其耐盐性强,可在滨海盐碱区种植应用。     

Influence of Calcium Silicate on Growth, Physiological Parameters and Mineral Nutrition in Two Legume Species Under Salt Stress

Cowpea and kidney bean plants were grown in a hydroponic system, and the effect of calcium silicate supplied to the nutrient solution under salt stress was investigated. The plants were subjected to four different treatments: (1) nutrient solution alone (C), (2) nutrient solution + 40 mmol l⁻¹ NaCl (NaCl), (3) nutrient solution + 40 mmol l⁻¹ NaCl + 0.5 mmol l⁻¹ CaSiO₃ (NaCl + Si₁) and (4) nutrient solution + 40 mmol l⁻¹ NaCl+1 mmol l⁻¹ CaSiO₃ (NaCl + Si₂). The results showed that, in both species, salinity reduced all growth variables but silicate supplementation however partly overcame this growth reduction. Addition of silicate in NaCl‐stressed plants maintained membrane permeability. Net photosynthesis, chlorophyll content, stomatal conductance and transpiration were higher in plants under control treatment, and the inclusion of silicate in the nutrient solution resulted in a slight increase in these plant parameters. Intercellular CO₂ was slightly higher in plants under silicate treatment than in plants under control or NaCl treatment. Calcium concentration in shoots and roots in both species was slightly higher in the treatments where silicate was added. Potassium concentration for salt treatment was reduced in shoot and root of both species in the absence of silicate. Sodium and chloride concentration in shoots and roots in both species were slightly higher in the presence of NaCl and were slightly reduced in the plants under silicate treatments. The results suggest that, in hydroponically grown plants, the inclusion of silicate in the nutrient solution is beneficial because it improves growth, physiological parameters and may contribute to a more balanced nutrition by enhancing nutrient uptake under NaCl‐stressed conditions. Added calcium silicate may ameliorate the parameters affected by high salinity, may reduce sodium and chloride, and can slightly increase calcium and potassium concentrations in shoots and roots of salt‐stressed cowpea and kidney bean.     

Growth and Ionic Content of Quinoa Under Saline Irrigation

Drought and salinity are the most important abiotic stresses that affect plant's growth and productivity. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the effect of salt and water deficit on water relations, growth parameters and capacity to accumulate inorganic solutes in quinoa plants. An irrigation experiment was carried out in 2009 and 2010 in the Volturno river plain. Three treatments irrigated with fresh water (Q100, Q50 and Q25) and three irrigated with saline water (Q100S, Q50S and Q25S) were tested. For saline irrigation, water with an electrical conductivity of 22 dS m^?1 was used. Actual evapotranspiration (ET_a), water productivity (WP), biomass allocation, relative growth rate (RGR), net assimilation rate (NAR), specific leaf area, leaf area ratio and ions accumulation of quinoa plants were evaluated. WP and plant growth were not influenced by saline irrigation, as quinoa plants incorporated salt ions in the tissues (stems, roots, leaves) preserving seed quality. Treatment with a reduction in the irrigation water to 25 % of full irrigated treatment (Q25) caused an increase in WP and a reduced dry matter accumulation in the leaves. Quinoa plants (Q25) were initially negatively affected by severe drought with RGR and NAR reduction, and then, they adapted to it. Quinoa could be considered a drought tolerant crop that adapt photosynthetic rate to compensate for a reduced growth.     

Paclobutrazol improves salt tolerance in quinoa: Beyond the stomatal and biochemical interventions

Quinoa is gaining importance on global scale due to its excellent nutritious profile and environmental stress‐enduring potential. Its production decreases under high salt stress but can be improved with paclobutrazol application. This study showed involvement of some potential protective mechanisms in root and leaf tissues of quinoa plants treated with paclobutrazol (PBZ) against high salinity. The treatment levels were based on preliminary experiments, and it was found that salt stress (400 mm NaCl) markedly reduced growth and photosynthetic pigments while PBZ (20 mg/L) application significantly improved these attributes. Stomata density and aperture declined on adaxial and abaxial surfaces of leaves due to salinity. Paclobutrazol application significantly improved the stomatal density on both surfaces of leaves. Concentration of proline and soluble sugars increased in root and leaf tissues under salinity, which was more obvious in PBZ‐treated plants. Salinity stress induced the oxidative damage by increasing lipid peroxidation (MDA) level in roots and more specifically in leaf tissues. However, PBZ treatments ameliorated the drastic effects of salinity and markedly reduced oxidative damage in salt‐stressed quinoa plants. Enhanced activity of enzymatic antioxidants such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD) was triggered by PBZ application, more pronounced in leaf than root tissues. Based on these findings, we conclude that PBZ application improves the salt tolerance in quinoa by activation of the above‐mentioned physiological and biochemical mechanisms specifically in leaves.     

Difference in Allelopathic Potential as Influenced by Root Periderm Colour of Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas)

Laboratory bioassay and high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis were conducted to determine the allelopathic potentials of aqueous or methanol extracts from three different coloured sweet potato [Ipomoea batatas L. (Lam)] cultivars by plant part. The aqueous extracts applied on filter paper significantly inhibited root growth of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). Aqueous leaf leachates at 40 g dry tissue l^?1 (g l^?1) from white sweet potato cultivar ‘Sinyulmi’ showed the highest inhibition against alfalfa, followed by yellow ‘Sinhwangmi’ and purple ‘Jami’. Alfalfa root growth was significantly inhibited by methanol extracts of the same plants as the concentration increased. Aqueous and methanol extracts from leaves showed the most inhibitory effect on alfalfa root growth followed by stems and roots. By means of HPLC analysis, leaf samples of sweet potato had the highest amount of phenolic compounds followed by stems and roots. Total content of these compounds was highest for leaf extracts (37.7 mg 100 g^?1), detected in EtOAc fraction, especially trans‐cinnamic acid (20.9 mg 100 g^?1). These results suggest that sweet potato plants are allelopathic and that their activities differ depending on plant part as well as root periderm colour.     

Some Agronomic and Physiological Aspects of Salt Tolerance in Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.)

Evaluation of commonly grown cotton (Gossypium hir-sutum L.) genotypes under saline environment may help to cope with the venture of the crop failure in salt-affected soils. In a pot experiment, four cotton genotypes (MNH-93, NIAB-78. S-12, and B-557) were grown to compare their relative performance on a sandy clay loam soil (original ECe = 1.9 dS m⁻¹) salinized with a salt mixture (Na₂SO₄, NaCl, CaCl₂, MgSO₄ in the ratio of 9:5:5:1 on equivalent basis) to EQ levels of 10 and 20 dS m⁻¹. The crop was raised to the flower initiation stage. The imposed salinity stress exhibited deleterious effect on the germination and vegetative growth with significant differences among the genotypes. Leaf area, stem thickness, shoot (stem + leaves) and root weights decreased with the increase in substrate salinity. NIAB-78 showed the least decline followed by MNH-93. Leaf thickness showed an opposite trend as an increase in this parameter was observed with the rising salinity, the maximum increase being in the case of NIAB-78. Analysis of the leaf sap showed increased Na⁺ and Cl⁻ concentrations and decreased K⁺ concentration with the increase in substrate salinity. A better osmotic adjustment, a lower Na⁺/K⁺ ratio and a lower Cl concentration were found in the leaves of NIAB-78 followed by MNH-93. This contributed towards their better growth performance under saline conditions.     

NAA和PP333对人参果组培苗素质的影响

以MS为基本培养基,添加不同浓度的NAA和PP333分别对人参果茎段进行培养,结果表明一定浓度的NAA对人参果组培苗有促进生根、长芽和诱导愈伤组织形成的作用,以0.1-0.5mg/L的NAA处理的效果最佳;而一定浓度的PP333对人参果组培苗有促进生根、抑制苗节间伸长过快,促进壮苗的作用,以0.1mg/L浓度最适宜,通过处理的幼苗根系发达,茎粗叶茂,叶色深绿,矮壮,移栽成活率高。