Nitrate nitrogen and nitrate reductase activity in Verna lemon tree leaves

The determination of the leaf nitrate concentration, as well as the nitrate reductase activity have been proposed as a parameters for the estimation of the nitrogen requirements of citrus plants. Because this, it is interesting to dispose of a well criteria for their suitable diagnosing. On nutritionally normal Verna lemon trees we study the annual evolution of the leaf nitrate levels as well as the nitrate reductase activities. At the same time, the cause of the nitrogen alterations induced by iron chlorosis are determined. The results show that is the ferredoxin the iron compound responsible of this nitrogen unbalance.