INFLUENCE OF AMMONIUM AND NITRATE NUTRITION ON THE CATION-ANION BLANCE AND NITROGEN AND CARBOHYDRATE METABOLISM OF WHITE MUSTARD PLANTS GROWN IN DILUTE NUTRIENT SOLUTIONS
- 1 March 1968
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Wolters Kluwer Health in Soil Science
- Vol. 105 (3) , 133-141
- https://doi.org/10.1097/00010694-196803000-00001
Abstract
Ionic balance and N and carbohydrate metabolism studies were made on leaf and stem samples of mustard plants grown in dilute nutrient solution supplied with N as NO3 or NH4 + NOg or intermediate treatments. The inclusion of NH4- N in the nutrient medium depressed growth and decreased the concentrations of the inorganic cations (Ca, Mg, K) and the non-volatile organic acid anions, in particular malate. Irrespective of the form of N-supply, however, a fairly good balance was obtained between cation and anion equivalents in leaf and stem tissue. NH4- N in the nutrient medium increased the concentration of total N and free amino acids in the leaf tissue. In particular, there was a very high increase in the concentration of proline which appears to act as a N-reserve in white mustard. In both the stem and leaf tissue the presence of NH4- N in the nutrient medium increased the concentration of total and reducing sugars. The results are discussed with respect to the assimilation of NO, and NH4- N in relation to ionic balance and the N and carbohydrate metabolism of the plant.This publication has 1 reference indexed in Scilit:
- Cation-anion relationships in crop nutrition: II. Factors affecting the ratios of sum of the cations: sum of the anions in Italian rye-grassThe Journal of Agricultural Science, 1964