TISSUE ELEMENT CONCENTRATIONS AND MINERAL REMOVAL RATES IN HONEYBUSH TEA II: CYCLOPIA SUBTERNATA

A survey of plantation-grown Cyclopia subternata showed that average concentrations of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium and magnesium in the new top growth of mature seedlings and cuttings were 1.59, 0.09, 0.62, 0.32, and 0.17%, respectively. Respective removal rates of these elements at each harvest averaged 13.1, 0.7, 5.1, 2.6, and 1.4 g plant^?1. These quantities were equivalent to. 28% to 45% of the total element in the plant. Concentrations in the top growth of sodium, manganese, iron, copper, zinc and boron averaged, respectively, 1459, 34, 143, 7, 9, and 30 mg kg^?1. Old top growth dry mass and root dry mass increased with time. Peak new top growth yields from C. subternata plants derived from seedlings and cuttings differed by only 2.2%. At peak production, new growth constituted 15% of total seedling dry mass and 21% of total cutting dry mass.     

Comparative efficiency of phosphate-solubilizing bacteria under greenhouse conditions for promoting growth and aloin-A content of Aloe barbadensis

This study was conducted with Aloe barbadensis in order to investigate the efficacy of four phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB), Pseudomonas synxantha 10223, Burkholderia gladioli 10242, Enterobacter hormaechei 10240 and Serratia marcescens 10241 to solubilize Mussorie rock phosphate (MRP) and to evaluate its effects on growth, soluble P content and P uptake compared with control, i.e. uninoculated plants. Pot experiments were conducted in a greenhouse, in soil supplemented with MRP. Each PSB treatment showed different effects on different plant growth parameters. The maximum increase in leaf length (23.7%), total number of leaves (33.33%) and dry rind weight (69.10%) was observed in plants treated with P. synxantha 10223 compared with control. Whereas, maximum increase in root length (23.43%), fresh leaves weight (79.03%), dry gel weight (113.08%) and total gel volume (112.10%), was observed in plants treated with S. marcescens 10241 compared with uninoculated plants. Maximum increase in aloin-A content [114.92% (per g dry gel weight) and 322.32% (per plant dry gel weight)] was observed in plants treated with P. synxantha 10223 compared with control plants. Root colonization by inoculated PSB as estimated by RAPD technique showed that all PSB were able to survive in the rhizosphere of Aloe plants.     

Development of field-grown potato plants derived from meristem plants multiplied with different methods

Abstract

In the current multiplication technique first-generation seed tubers produced in the field by transplanting plants raised on peat in plastic rolls from plants cultured by repetitive multiplication using tip- and stem-cuttings and truncated plants are compared with in vitro micro-plants from the aspect of obtaining optimal-sized, disease-free seed tubers.

The objective of the study is to compare the dynamics of total plant dry mass and tuber dry mass of field-grown potato plants, and analyse the effect of the year and variety. Two local late-maturing potato varieties, Ants and Vigri, were used in the study. The field experiments were carried out in 2005–2007.

Significant impact of the multiplication method and experimental year on total plant dry mass and tuber dry mass was observed. The plants multiplied in vitro from micro-cuttings produced lower total dry mass and also lower tuber dry mass per m². The plants multiplied by tip- and stem-cuttings as well as truncated plants proved to be more adaptable to unfavourable weather conditions than in vitro plants; in a favourable year, however, the differences were insignificant. In the early phase of growth the ratio of the tuber dry mass to total plant dry mass increased more rapidly in the case of in vitro plants, whereas by the end of the growing season the relevant ratio was similar for all multiplication methods and years.

All developed multiplication methods are suitable for practical seed potato production in the field and ensure a reasonable potato crop.     

Effects of Salinity on Growth,Water-Use Efficiency,and Nutrient Leaching of Three Containerized Ornamental Plants

The scarcity of water in the Mediterranean area has frequently led to the use of saline water to irrigate ornamental plants in nurseries. Aloe vera L. Burm, Kalanchoe blossfeldiana Poelln, and Gazania splendens Lem. plants were grown in a greenhouse from the University of Almeria in containers with a mixture of sphagnum peat moss and perlite in order to evaluate the effect of salinity levels on plant growth, water-use efficiency, and nutrient leaching. The experimental design consisted of three salinity treatments, four blocks, and four plants (one plant per container) per treatment-block giving a total of 12 plants per species plus border plants placed around the perimeter of the treatment plants to maintain uniform growing conditions for treatment plants. At the end of the experiment, plant dry weight and water-use efficiency were assessed for each salinity treatment. Leachate was collected weekly and analyzed for concentrations of nitrate-nitrogen, phosphate-phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and magnesium (NO₃^–N, PO₄^3–P, K⁺, Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺). Increasing salinity levels of irrigation water reduced the plant dry weight in all species and affected the leachates volume and their nutrients concentrations. We suggest the use of low salinity levels in water to improve the growth and to reduce the environmental impacts of nutrient runoff.     

Dry matter production,nutrient uptake,and growth of cotton as affected by potassium fertilization

Insufficient potassium (K) nutrition produces detrimental effects on cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) lint yield and fiber quality. To further understand the deleterious effects caused by K deficiency, a 2‐yr (1991 and 1992) field study was conducted to determine how dry matter partitioning and nutrient concentrations of various plant tissues for the cotton genotypes, ‘DES 119’ and ‘MD 51 ne’, were altered by varying the application rate of fertilizer K and nitrogen (N). All plots received a preplant application of 112 kg N ha^‐1, and half of the plots were later sidedressed with an additional 38 kg N ha^‐1. Within each N treatment, half the plots received 112 kg K ha^‐1, preplant incorporated, with the remaining plots not receiving any fertilizer K. Dry matter harvests were taken three times in 1991 and two times in 1992. At cutout (slowing of vegetative growth and flowering), plants that received K fertilization had a 14% more leaf area index (LAI), a 3% increase in the number of main stem nodes, and a 2% increase in plant height. However, those plants had a 12% lower specific leaf weight (SLW) than plants receiving no K fertilization. By the end of season, the of K fertilization had resulted in more stem (21%), bur (13%), seed (19%), and lint weight (20%), but harvest index was not affected. Varying the level of N fertilization did not affect any of these dry matter parameters at any harvest. In general, the larger plants produced under K fertilization had reduced concentrations of N, phosphorus (P), magnesium (Mg), and sodium (Na) in the various plant parts. While N uptake efficiency was not affected by K fertility, plants that received K fertilization had increased efficiency of fertilizer N use and of N utilization within the plant. The smaller LAI of the K deficient plants probably reduced the photosynthetic capacity per plant. A reduced assimilation capacity could explain the inefficiency of N use, lint yield reductions, and poorer fiber quality often associated with K deficiencies.     

Drought pretreatment increases the salinity resistance of tomato plants

Agricultural productivity is worldwide subjected to increasing salinity problems. Various strategies are applied to overcome the deleterious effects of salinity on plants. This study was conducted in order to determine whether drought pretreatment of seedlings or seed pretreatment with NaCl increases the long‐term salinity resistance of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) and whether the adaptive response to salinity is accompanied by physiological changes throughout the plant‐growth cycle. When plants were pretreated at the five‐leaf growth stage, the plant dry weight was significantly higher in drought‐pretreated than in non‐pretreated plants after 50 d of salt treatment. The positive effect of drought pretreatment applied at the five‐leaf stage was maintained throughout the entire growth cycle, as fruit yield of drought‐pretreated plants was 40% higher than that of non‐pretreated plants at the end of the harvest period (150 d of 70 mM NaCl treatment). Moreover, the most productive plants maintained lower Na⁺ and Cl^– accumulation in their leaves until the end of the growth cycle, which shows that adaptation is a long‐term response during which the plants adjust their physiology to the environmental conditions. Salt resistance was also improved through seed pretreatment with NaCl. In conclusion, drought pretreatment applied at the five‐leaf stage or seed pretreatment with NaCl provide an alternative way to enhance salt resistance in tomato, and the increase in yield is associated with physiological changes throughout the plant‐growth cycle.     

Biomass production and phosphorus accumulation of potato as affected by phosphorus nutrition

Potato (Solatium tuberosum) generally requires high amounts of phosphate fertilizer to reach economically acceptable yields, particularly in soils originating from volcanic ash. This is a consequence of the potato plants low root density and the slow soil diffusion rate of phosphorus (P) in these soils. Our objective was to evaluate the effect of P rates on tuber yield, biomass production, and distribution, biomass P accumulation and concentration, and P distribution in potato cv. Mexiquense. The experiment was carried out in an Andisol (7.8 μg g^‐1 Olsen‐P) located at the east of Valle de México. Fertilization rates were 0, 18,41,46,69,78,90,106,113,135,150,163, and 207 kg ha^‐1 P, from ordinary superphosphate. Top growth and root biomass, tuber yield, P percentage and P accumulation in different plant parts were measured at harvest. Minimum and maximum average tuber yields were 8.4 and 18.0 Mg ha^‐1; the plants absorbed 5.8 and 11.8 kg ha^‐1 P, corresponding to 0 (control) and 207 kg ha^‐1 P, respectively. Phosphorus fertilization had little influence on plant P concentration, where average concentrations in tuber and top growth were 0.20 and 0.24 % P, respectively. By contrast, P accumulation increased with increasing P rates, but P distribution between tuber and top growth was dependent on the amount of P applied. The control treatment showed approximately 1:1 distribution of P between top growth and tuber, but as P rate increased, top growth P decreased and tuber P increased. When applying the highest P rate, 36% of P accumulated in the top growth and 64 % in the tuber. The information obtained will permit decisions on the correct use of phosphate fertilizer for potato in Andisols of the Valle de Mexico.     

光强和施氮量对催吐萝芙木生长及生物量的影响

通过不同光强(15%、40%和70%自然光强)和施氮量(15g·株-1、30g·株-1和60g·株-1)的盆栽试验,研究了不同光照强度和施氮量对催吐萝芙木生长和生物量的影响。结果表明:光强和施氮量显著影响催吐萝芙木的生长、单株生物量及生物量分配(P0.05)。在70%自然光强下,催吐萝芙木株高、地径、株高和地径的相对生长速率(RGRH,RGRD)、单株生物量都较15%和40%自然光强下高,并分配更多的生物量到地下部分。在15%和40%自然光强下,催吐萝芙木的株高、地径、RGRH、RGRD、单株生物量随施氮量的增加而减小;在70%自然光强下,催吐萝芙木在30g·株-1中等施氮量下生长最好,单株生物量最大,达559.6g·株-1。在相同光强下,催吐萝芙木根生物量比(RMR)和根冠比(R/S)随施氮量增加而减小,比叶面积(SLA)和叶生物量比(LMR)在低光强和高施氮量下最大。从株高、地径、RGRH、RGRD、单株生物量、RMR和R/S等指标看,70%自然光强和30g·株-1的施氮量是催吐萝芙木最佳的光强和施氮量组合。     

Effect of Azospirillum brasilense inoculation on root morphology and respiration in tomato seedlings

Summary The level of Azospirillum brasilense strain Cd colonization in the rhizosphere of some vegetables was 10⁴–10⁵ colony-forming units (CFU) per root of one plant in 2-week-old plants inoculated with 5 × 10⁸ Azospirillum cells. Significant increases in root length (35%) and in top (90%) and root (50%) dry weight and total leaf area (90%) were observed in 18-day-old inoculated tomato plants compared with non-inoculated controls. An inoculum concentration of 1 × 10⁸ to 5 × 10⁸ CFU/ml stimulated the appearance of root hairs. Large numbers of bacteria (1 × 10⁹ CFU/ml) caused asymmetrical growth of the root tip. In a petri dish system, Azospirillum (1 × 10⁸ CFU/ml) increased root dry weight (150%), protein content (20%), respiration rate per root (70%) and the specific activity of malate dehydrogenase (45%–65%) over non-inoculated controls. The specific respiration rate, expressed as micromol of O₂ per minute per milligram of dry weight of roots, was significantly lower in inoculated roots, suggesting that less energy was spent for accumulation of more dry material.     

Nitrogen supply determines responses of yield and biomass partitioning of perennial ryegrass to elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations

Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L. cv. Parcour) grown at eight levels of nitrogen (N) fertilization (0–765 mg/pot) was exposed to ambient (390 ppm) and elevated (690 ppm) carbon dioxide (CO₂) concentrations for 83 days. Plants were cut three times and dry matter yields determined for each harvest. At final harvest, dry weight of root and stubble biomass was determined, as N concentrations of all plant fractions were determined. Carbon dioxide enrichment effects on yield and total plant biomass increased with increasing N fertilization. The weaker CO₂‐related yield enhancement at low N supply was due to the plants inability to increase tiller number. Root fraction of total plant biomass at final harvest was increased by high CO₂ and decreased by N supply. Root biomass was significantly increased by CO₂ enrichment and for both CO₂ treatments the N supply for maximum root mass coincided with the N supply for reaching maximum total plant biomass. A significant correlation between root fraction of total plant dry matter and N concentration of total plant biomass, which was not changed by CO₂ enrichment, indicates that biomass partitioning between shoot and root is controlled by the internal N status of the plant.     

Effects of phosphorus and drought stresses on dry matter and phosphorus allocation in wheat

The effect of phosphorus (P) and soil water availability (W) on the growth and development of wheat plants (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Minaret) was studied in a pot experiment. Four levels of P supply (0, 15, 30, and 100 μgP/g soil) were applied before sowing. Thirty‐four days after sowing (DAS), the pots were kept near 100% of field capacity (FC). From 34 DAS until one week before anthesis (67 DAS), half of the pots were maintained between 60–70% FC. Control pots were kept at 85–95% FC by weighing and watering the pots every two to three days. Shoots were harvested four times before anthesis and twice after. At each harvest, dry matter and P accumulation were measured in leaves, stems, and ears. In this study, thermal time until anthesis was inversely related to the level of P application. Phosphorus additioning affected the allocation of biomass and P in aerial plant organs. Plants growing only with soil P showed a delay in the allocation of dry matter and P into leaves and stems with respect to plants fertilized with 100 μg P/g of soil. In this study, the final composition of the grain depended on re‐mobilization from other plant organs. Evidence of independent re‐mobilization of carbohydrates and P towards the ear is presented, and the pattern of plant development as well as the relationships between development and dry matter and P allocation are discussed.     

Effect of Inoculation with the Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungus Glomus Intraradices on the Root-Knot Nematode Meloidogyne Incognita in Cucumber

ABSTRACT

A pot experiment was carried out to investigate the tolerance of cucumber plants (Cucumis sativus L.) to root-knot nematode after inoculation with Glomus intraradices. Plants were inoculated with G. intraradices for four weeks and then transplanted in soil treated with Meloidogyne incognita for a further five weeks. The low phosphorus (P) loamy soil was amended with 50 and 100 mg P kg^?1 soil. Mycorrhizal colonization increased shoot dry weight, shoot length, leaf numbers, root fresh weight and shoot P concentration, whereas nematode penetration and reproduction were significantly decreased. Similarly, P fertilization usually increased shoot growth and significantly decreased the number of galls and the number of egg masses and eggs per g root. Our results indicate that inoculation with G. intraradices and P fertilizer confer tolerance of cucumber plants to M. incognita by enhancing plant growth and by suppressing reproduction and/or galling of nematodes during the early stages of plant growth.     

Comparisons among cultivars of wheat,hulless and hulled oats: Dry matter,N and P accumulation and partitioning as affected by N supply

A better understanding of the impact of fertilizer nitrogen (N) on biomass and N accumulation, and their partitioning into different plant components is needed to optimize crop yield and quality. A field experiment with spring wheat (Triticum aestivum), hulless (Avena nuda), and hulled (Avena sativa) oats was conducted for 3 years in Ottawa, ON, Canada, to determine the crop responses to N addition (0, 75, and 150 kg N ha^–1). Biomass, N, and phosphorus (P) accumulation and partitioning into different plant components were examined during the growth season. Lodging score was determined for all crops when it occurred and again at harvest. During the growth season, both hulless and hulled oats and the wheat cultivar showed almost similar patterns of N and P accumulation with maximum contents at late grain filling or at harvest. Plant N concentration was up to 60 g kg^–1 during the seedling stage, decreased gradually with advancing growth stages, and was lowest at harvest. Nitrogen treatments significantly increased plant N and P contents. At heading stage, N treatments enhanced dry matter (24%–45%), N (35%–135%), and P (27%–45%) contents in plant components (i.e., culm, leaf, and head), but also enhanced crop lodging, especially in oats. Both hulled and hulless oats had higher total plant N (5%–35%), N : P ratio, and dry‐matter content in leaf (6%–43%) and head (0%–129%) along with higher P (up to 27%) in culm than the wheat cultivar. The wheat cultivar accumulated greater dry matter and higher N content in kernels than both hulled and hulless oats at harvest. Both hulled and hulless oat cultivars exhibited similar lodging susceptibility to N addition (75 or 150 kg N ha^–1), produced lower dry weight and lower kernel N, and hence lower grain yield than the wheat cultivar. The larger vegetative dry‐matter accumulation at heading coupled with higher P content in culms under high‐N‐supply conditions may be related to severe lodging in oat cultivars.     

Effect of fertilizer and endomycorrhizal inoculum on growth and nutrient uptake of cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) seedlings

Summary A greenhouse experiment was carried out to evaluate the influence of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhiza (VAM) on growth and nutrient uptake of cocoa seedlings treated with five levels of palm oil mill effluent, in an unsterilized Oxisol and an Ultisol, either with or without addition of the VAM fungus Scutellospora calospora (Nicol. & Gred.) Walker and Sanders. Inoculation with the VAM fungi significantly increased nutrient uptake and plant growth in both soils. The dry matter yield, and the tissue N and K concentration in the plant tops increased significantly with increasing levels of palm oil mill effluent applied to both the Oxisol and the Ultisol. The maximum tissue P concentration, however, was obtained from plants grown in the Ultisol that was given 50.0 g palm oil mill effluent per kg while the maximum P recovery of 26% was obtained from plants given only 16.7 g effluent per kg. Overall, the percentage of P recovery decreased with the addition of increasing levels of palm oil mill effluent. In the Oxisol, the tissue P concentration increased with the addition of increasing levels of palm oil mill effluent, but the maximum recovery of P was recorded from plants given only 0.3 g effluent per kg. The percentage P recovery decreased with subsequent additions of the effluent.     

Changes in Quality Attributes during Growth of Leek (Allium porrum L.) for Industrial Processing

Abstract

A field experiment with leek was conducted in 1990 and 1991. Plant weight and the contents of nitrate and dry matter of the leek were measured on ten successive harvest dates each year. The yield of dry matter per square metre was calculated and related to harvest time. A maximum and virtually constant average plant weight was obtained from the beginning to the end of October (weeks 41–44). After this time the plant weight decreased. The yield of dry matter per square metre was virtually constant during the last two weeks of October and the first week of November.

The content of nitrate decreased steadily during the harvest period, while the content of dry matter was at a minimum in the middle of October (week 43).

The changes in nitrate and dry matter during growth could be explained by results from analyses of the different composition of the fractions of the leek. The content of nitrate and dry matter decreased from the outer to the inner part of the leek, in which the major part of the growth takes place during the weeks up to harvest.

A maximum yield of fresh weight and dry matter can be obtained after harvest in October or November (weeks 43–45) when the content of nitrate has decreased to a low and almost stable level.     

Yield and N assimilation of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L., var. Norstar) inoculated with rhizobacteria

The effects of bacterial inoculants on the growth of winter wheat were studied in a growth chamber. Azospirillum brasilense, Azotobacter chroococcum, Bacillus polymyxa, Enterobacter cloacae, or a mixture of the four rhizobacteria were the inoculants tested. Inoculation effects on yield, yield components, and N-derived from fertilizer (Ndff) were assessed. The response of plants inoculated with individual bacteria was inconsistent and varied with treatment. At the first harvest (58 days after planting-DAP) plants inoculated with the mixture exhibited increases in plant dry weight, total-N and Ndff. At the second harvest (105 DAP), plants inoculated with A. brasilense and the mixture exhibited increases in shoot biomass, whereas at maturity (170 DAP), the inoculated plants showed no differences in total-N or shoot dry matter yield, as compared to the uninoculated controls. Inoculation with A. brasilense, however, increased the Ndff in the shoots, and B. polymyxa tended to enhance grain yield. Practical use of these rhizobacteria as inoculants for winter wheat may have limited value until such time as we better understand factors which influence rhizosphere competence of bacterial inoculants.     

Phosphorus nutrition of white rose potato in relation to growth and minerals of leaf and root tissues

Abstract

White Rose potato plants (Solanum tuberosum, L.) were grown outdoors, without tuber formation, in a modified Hoagland's nutrient solution with 9 treatments of KH₂PO₄ ranging from 0 to 4.0 mmoles per liter. Deficiency symptoms ranged from very severe to none at harvest after 27 days of growth. Growth of the potato plants increased with increased P supply and was associated with an increased P content of the plant tissues. The critical H₂PO₄‐P concentration at a 10% reduction of top growth, based on a second leaf analysis, was about 1,000 ppm for the petiole and terminal bladelet and about 1,200 ppm for the lateral bladelet, dry weight basis.

Phosphorus nutrition had only a slight effect on the K, Na, Mg and NO₃‐N concentrations of the root tissues but Ca increased as phosphate increased which suggests a calcium phosphate precipitation. Phosphorus stress lowered the K, Na, Ca, Mg and NO₃‐N concentrations of the petiole tissues of the recently matured leaf which suggests that P increases salt accumulation. Phosphorus nutrition had only a slight effect on the concentrations of K, Na, Mg and Ca of the blade tissues of the recently matured leaf but NO₃‐N increased greatly with P supply.     

Growth response of field-grown Siratro (Macroptilium atropurpureum Urb.) and Aeschynomene american L. to inoculation with selected vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi

Summary The effect of inoculation with a selected isolate of Glomus etunicatum Becker and Gerdemann and one of G. intraradices Schenck and Smith on the growth and nutrient content of Macroptilium atropurpureum Urb. cv. Siratro and Aeschynomene americana L., at applied P levels of 10, 30, 60, and 120 kg ha^-1, was studied under field conditions. At all P levels and for all harvests, the shoot dry mass of Siratro and A. americana were greater for the plants inoculated with the vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) fungi than the control plants. Differences between the VAM fungus-inoculated and the control plants were most marked between 30 and 90 kg ha^-1 of applied P and diminished at 120 kg ha^-1. At the first harvest of Siratro, the plants inoculated with G. etunicatum had a greater shoot dry mass than those inoculated with G. intraradices, for all levels of applied P. However, for subsequent harvest of Siratro and for the one harvest of A. americana the response of shoot dry mass to the two VAM fungi was equivocal. Fungal inoculation gave at least a 30% saving in the amount of P fertilizer required (40 kg ha^-1) for the maximum yield. The plants inoculated with VAM fungi had a greater tissue concentration and total content of P and N than the control plants at low and intermediate levels of applied P. The percentage of root colonized by VAM fungi for the inoculated plants of the two legumes increased linearly with P additions up to 60 kg ha^-1. The conclusion is that under amended (limed and fertilized) soil conditions, inoculation with selected VAM fungi can improve the establishement and growth of forage legumes in fields that contain ineffective populations of native VAM fungi.     

Enhancement in Nutrient Accumulation and Growth of Oil Palm Seedlings Caused by PGPR Under Field Nursery Conditions

Abstract

Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) (e.g., Azospirillum and Bacillus spp.) have been reported to enhance growth and fix N₂ with several nonleguminous crops. These rhizobacteria have the potential to be applied to oil palm seedlings and, consequently, reduce the cost of nitrogenous fertilizer. The rhizobacteria are also known as a bioenhancer for the ability to increase root growth and enhanced water and nutrient absorption by the host plants. An experiment was carried out in the field nursery station, Federal Land Development Authorities (FELDA), Bukit Mendi, Pahang, Malaysia, to observe the effects of PGPR inoculation on enhanced nutrient accumulation and plant growth (tops and roots) of oil palm seedlings under field nursery conditions. The inoculation process showed positive response in enhancing higher accumulation of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) in the plant tissues, enhanced root dry weight and top growth (dry matter and leaf chlorophyll content) of the host plants under field nursery conditions.     

Zinc-Induced Changes in Growth Characters,Foliar Properties,and Zn-Accumulation Capacity of Pigeon Pea at Different Stages of Plant Growth

Application of zinc (Zn) [50, 100, 200, 300, and 400 μ g zinc sulfate (ZnSO₄)/g of soil] reduced the foliage and the total growth of pigeon pea [Cajanus cajan (Linn.) Huth]. The root-shoot length ratio, varying little with age, was relatively low in the treated plants. Decrease in dry weights of stem and root was more pronounced in the late stages of plant development. The root-shoot dry weight ratio, maximum in the flowering stage, was lower in treated plants than in the control. Number of pods per plant declined, showing a positive correlation with Zn concentration. Net photosynthetic rate, declining with plant age, was significantly low in the treated plants. Density and size of stomata and trichomes, stomatal conductance, intercellular carbon dioxide concentration, quantity of green pigments, nitrate reductase activity, and the nitrate and protein contents in the leaves also declined significantly. Proportion of vascular tissues both in stems and roots increased with plant age with a concomitant reduction of pith and cortex. Under zinc stress, the relative proportion of tissues varied inconsistently. Dimensions of vessel elements and fibers in stems and roots, increasing with the plant age, were always smaller in the treated plants. The vulnerability factor and mesomorphic ratio of treated plants declined, suggesting induction of water stress due to zinc treatments. Accumulation of Zn^{2 +} in different plant parts was considerably high at each developmental stage of the treated plants, and showed a positive correlation with Zn in the soil.