Nitrogen nutritional status of young maize plants (Zea mays) is not limited by NaCl stress. Issue 6 (29th September 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hütsch, Birgit W.; He, Wenting; Schubert, Sven
• Is Part Of: Journal of plant nutrition and soil science. Volume 179:Issue 6(2016:Dec.)
• Page Start: 775
• Page End: 783
• Publication Date: 2016-09-29
• Subjects: chloride -- nitrate -- salinity -- nitrogen deficiency; Plants -- Nutrition -- Periodicals; Soil science -- Periodicals; 630
• DOI: 10.1002/jpln.201500565
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1436-8730

Abstract

Abstract: Maize plants ( Zea mays L. cv. Pioneer 3906) were grown in hydroponics with four different NaCl treatments (control, 50, 100, 150 mM NaCl). Nitrogen (N) was supplied as 2 mM Ca(NO3 )2 in the fully concentrated nutrient solution. Plants of half of the pots were treated with additional 1 mM NH4 NO3 2 d after start of the NaCl application. After 23 d, the maize plants were harvested and contents and concentrations of nitrate, reduced N as well as chloride were determined in shoots and roots. With increasing NaCl stress net nitrate uptake and net root‐to‐shoot translocation of total N decreased significantly. Under salt stress, decreased nitrate concentrations in shoots probably caused substrate limitation of nitrate reductase. However, the concentrations of reduced N in shoots were not affected by salt stress and no N deficiency was observed. Additional N application to the 100 and 150 mM NaCl treatments did not improve plant growth. A Cl − /NO$ _3^ - $ antagonism was only weakly pronounced, probably because of the Cl − exclusion ability of maize. Thus, although net uptake and net translocation of total N were markedly decreased by NaCl application, the smaller maize plants nevertheless took up enough N to meet their demand pointing to other growth‐limiting factors than N nutrition.