Evaluation of the differential osmotic adjustments between roots and leaves of maize seedlings with single or combined NPK-nutrient supply

Functional Plant Biology : FPB
Christoph StuderUrs Schmidhalter

Abstract

Many physiological mechanisms associated with nutrient supply have been implicated as improving plant growth under drought conditions. However, benefits to plant growth under drought might derive from an increased recovery of soil water through osmotic adjustment in the shoots and especially in the roots. Thus, experiments were carried out to investigate the effects of the nutrients N, P and K applied singly or in combination, on the osmotic adjustment and turgor maintenance in the roots and leaves of maize seedlings. The seedlings were harvested between 18 and 37 days after sowing according to the soil matric threshold potentials. Soil matric potentials and shoot and root biomass were determined at harvest. Turgor pressure and osmotic adjustment of the leaves and roots were estimated by measurements of their water and osmotic potentials. Results showed that plants with either of the combined fertilisation treatments NPK or NP grew faster at a given level of drought stress than those with no fertilisation, N, P or K applied individually or the combined nutrient treatments PK and NK. Among the fertiliser applications with either a single or two combined nutrients, plants treated with any of N, P or NP grew faster than those with...Continue Reading

References

Feb 14, 2002·Plant, Cell & Environment·R. Serraj, T. R. Sinclair
Sep 28, 2004·Journal of Experimental Botany·Robert E SharpHenry T Nguyen
Sep 16, 2006·Plant & Cell Physiology·Thomas WolfIrene Marten

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