Effect of aluminum on the growth and nutrition of tulip-poplar seedlings

1999 ◽  
Vol 29 (12) ◽  
pp. 2003-2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heidi B Lux ◽  
Jonathan R Cumming

Atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and sulfate is acidifying some ecosystems, potentially increasing the availability of aluminum in the soil solution. The effects of Al on tulip-poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera L.) were investigated with seedlings grown in sand culture. Seedlings were exposed to Al at four concentrations ranging from 0 to 800 µM. Reductions of 77% in shoot biomass and 71% in root biomass were observed at 200 µM Al. Aluminum reduced the concentrations of multivalent cations in leaves and roots. The Ca concentration of leaves was reduced at 400 µM Al, and the Mg concentration of roots was significantly reduced at 200 µM Al. Relationships between tissue Ca, Mg, and Al indicated that Al alters the translocation of Ca and Mg to the shoots and the accumulation of Mg in the roots. If mature trees respond in a similar fashion as seedlings noted here, then tulip-poplar has a low threshold for A1 toxicity, which may lead to declines in the health of tulip-poplar populations in ecosystems exposed to elevated levels of acidic deposition.

2001 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 694-702 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heidi B Lux ◽  
Jonathan R Cumming

Aluminum (Al) toxicity may limit the growth and nutrient acquisition of sensitive tree species in regions receiving acidic deposition. Symbioses between tree roots and mycorrhizal fungi may offset the negative impacts of Al in the root zone. Liriodendron tulipifera L. (tulip-poplar) is an important tree species in the Appalachian Mountains of the southeastern United States and may be at risk from the high levels of acidic deposition in that area. Mycorrhizal and non-mycorrhizal tulip-poplar seedlings were exposed to Al levels of 0, 50, 100, and 200 µM in sand culture for 6 weeks. Mycorrhizal plants accumulated two to seven times the shoot and root biomass of non-mycorrhizal plants and demonstrated no decreases in biomass with Al exposure. Non-mycorrhizal plants exhibited significant reductions in biomass at and above 100 µM Al. Aluminum toxicity in non-mycorrhizal plants appears to be the result of the disruption of P translocation to leaves and Ca, Mg, P, Cu, and Zn uptake in roots. Mycorrhizal plants accumulated 2 and 1.5 times the concentration of Al in shoots and roots, respectively, indicating that Al resistance was not associated with the exclusion of Al from the plant. Patterns of labile Al in solution, nutrients, and Al accumulation in tissues suggest that arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal ecotypes may alter the form or compartmentation of Al within the rhizosphere and plant, thus protecting seedlings from the effects of exposure to Al in the soil solution.


HortScience ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 818B-818
Author(s):  
Kathryn S. Hahne ◽  
Ursula K. Schuch*

The objective of this study was to determine whether mesquite (Prosopis velutina) seedlings have a preference for the ammonia or nitrate form of nitrogen (N), and to determine the optimum rate of N to maximize growth and minimize N leaching when seedlings are grown in different substrates. Mesquite seedlings were fertigated with different ratios of NH4+: NO3- to determine effects on shoot and root growth and N-uptake efficiency. Nutrient solution containing 67% NH4+ : 33% NO3- resulted in greatest biomass after 120 days of fertigation. N leachate remained stable until 12 weeks after the onset of treatment, but increased significantly by week 16. Subsequently, mesquite seedlings were grown in sand or soilless media and were fertigated with a solution of 67 % NH4+: 33% NO3- at a rate of 25, 50, 100, or 200 mg·L-1 of N. After 60 days, plants in media produced 41% more leaves and total biomass compared to those in sand. Leaf number was greatest for plants grown at 200 mg·L-1 of N in both substrates. Root biomass of plants in media showed no response to increasing N concentrations while root biomass of seedlings in sand were similar for the three lower N concentrations and nearly doubled for the highest one. Shoot biomass of seedlings receiving 25, 50, or 100 mg·L-1 of N was similar, but more than doubled for plants fertigated with 200 mg·L-1 of N. N leachate losses were highest from seedlings growing in sand and receiving the two higher N fertigations, those in media had greatest N leachate loss when fertigated at 200 mg·L-1 of N. For balanced mesquite seedling growth and minimum N leaching losses, concentrations between 50 to 100 mg·L-1 of N are recommended. Implications of using a sand culture system vs. soilless growing substrate for nutrition studies will be discussed.


Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 943
Author(s):  
Katri Nissinen ◽  
Virpi Virjamo ◽  
Antti Kilpeläinen ◽  
Veli-Pekka Ikonen ◽  
Laura Pikkarainen ◽  
...  

We studied the growth responses of boreal Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), Norway spruce (Picea abies L. Karst.) and silver birch (Betula pendula Roth) seedlings to simulated climate warming of an average of 1.3 °C over the growing season in a controlled field experiment in central Finland. We had six replicate plots for elevated and ambient temperature for each tree species. The warming treatment lasted for the conifers for three growing seasons and for the birch two growing seasons. We measured the height and diameter growth of all the seedlings weekly during the growing season. The shoot and root biomass and their ratios were measured annually in one-third of seedlings harvested from each plot in autumn. After two growing seasons, the height, diameter and shoot biomass were 45%, 19% and 41% larger in silver birch seedlings under the warming treatment, but the root biomass was clearly less affected. After three growing seasons, the height, diameter, shoot and root biomass were under a warming treatment 39, 47, 189 and 113% greater in Scots pine, but the root:shoot ratio 29% lower, respectively. The corresponding responses of Norway spruce to warming were clearly smaller (e.g., shoot biomass 46% higher under a warming treatment). As a comparison, the relative response of height growth in silver birch was after two growing seasons equal to that measured in Scots pine after three growing seasons. Based on our findings, especially silver birch seedlings, but also Scots pine seedlings benefitted from warming, which should be taken into account in forest regeneration in the future.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Affendy Hassan ◽  
Parveena Balachandran ◽  
Khairiyyah Razanah Khamis

Abstract BackgroundEucalyptus is among the important fast-growing species, and is typically managed on short rotation to sustain the production of timber, pulpwood, charcoal, and fire-wood. Macro-propagation using cutting for larger multiplying seedlings is cheaper and efficient instead of clonal seeds for uniform plant material seedling production. However, information on root growth of Eucalyptus pellita at early development from seed and stem cutting of E. pellita seedlings is still lacking. This is probably due to the difficulty in investigation belowground, and also due to methodological problems. With such information, it is useful for forest plantation company management in enhancing the understanding on strategies to optimize yield production with the appropriate agronomic or silvicultural approach in the field planting. Therefore, the objectives of this study were; to compare the root development of two different propagation seedlings of E. pellita; and to study the effect of various nitrogen concentration levels on two types of propagation of E. pellita seedlings. ResultsThe study was conducted using E. pellita seedlings from two types of propagation, namely, seed and stem cuttings, along with three different nitrogen concentrations (0, 50, and 200 kg N ha-1). Shoot biomass, root intensity (RI), total root intensity (TRI), root biomass, root length density (RLD), and specific root length (SRL) were recorded. Dried shoot biomass, RLD and SRL of E. pellita seedlings using stem cutting were significantly higher (P<0.05) compared to seed. Whereas, there were no significant differences (P>0.05) for root biomass, TRI and RI between the propagation types of E. pellita seedlings. Conclusions:E. pellita seedlings from stem cutting was greater in terms of root distribution compared to propagation by seeds at the nursery stage, and 50 kg N ha-1 was the optimal nitrogen concentration level from the considered levels to be applied to the E. pellita seedlings. The present study therefore provides more information and understanding on E. pellita for forest plantation companies in producing plant materials using stem cutting in a cost-effective and efficient manner. This would help the forest plantation companies in planning appropriate agronomic management in the future.


2019 ◽  
Vol 99 (6) ◽  
pp. 905-916
Author(s):  
E.W. Bork ◽  
M.P. Lyseng ◽  
D.B. Hewins ◽  
C.N. Carlyle ◽  
S.X. Chang ◽  
...  

While northern temperate grasslands are important for supporting beef production, it remains unclear how grassland above- and belowground biomass responds to long-term cattle grazing. Here, we use a comprehensive dataset from 73 grasslands distributed across a broad agro-climatic gradient to quantify grassland shoot, litter, and shallow (top 30 cm) root biomass in areas with and without grazing. Additionally, we relate biomass to soil carbon (C) concentrations. Forb biomass was greater (p < 0.05) in grazed areas, particularly those receiving more rainfall. In contrast, grass and total aboveground herbage biomass did not differ with grazing (total: 2320 kg ha−1 for grazed vs. 2210 kg ha−1 for non-grazed; p > 0.05). Forb crude protein concentrations were lower (p < 0.05) in grazed communities compared with those that were non-grazed. Grasslands subjected to grazing had 56% less litter mass. Root biomass down to 30 cm remained similar between areas with (9090 kg ha−1) and without (7130 kg ha−1) grazing (p > 0.05). Surface mineral soil C concentrations were positively related to peak grassland biomass, particularly total (above + belowground) biomass, and with increasing forb biomass in grazed areas. Finally, total aboveground shoot biomass and soil C concentrations in the top 15 cm of soil were both positively related to the proportion of introduced plant diversity in grazed and non-grazed grasslands. Overall, cattle grazing at moderate stocking rates had minimal impact on peak grassland biomass, including above- and belowground, and a positive contribution exists from introduced plant species to maintaining herbage productivity and soil C.


Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 1110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Santiago Bonachela ◽  
Alicia M. González ◽  
María D. Fernández ◽  
Francisco J. Cabrera-Corral

The soil water availability of six vegetable crop cycles, irrigated with water of 0.4 dS m−1 electrical conductivity, was modified by varying the irrigation frequency in typical Mediterranean greenhouses at SE Spain. The soil matric water potential (SMP) in the middle of the loamy soil layer where most roots usually grow was maintained between −10 and −20 kPa (H), −20 and −30 kPa (C), and −30 and −50 kPa (L) for the crops grown under high, conventional and low soil water availability, respectively, while the total irrigation water applied was similar for the three treatments. The high soil water availability (H) did not improve the fresh weight of total, marketable and first class fruits, or the shoot biomass and partitioning. The irrigation frequency did not affect the total root biomass at the end of the autumn–winter cucumber, but the crop under L distributed its root biomass more homogenously throughout the soil profile than the crop under H. Regulating the soil water availability (maintaining the SMP higher than or close to the level at which crop water stress may occur) over the cycle as a function of crop conditions or farmers’ requirements appears to be a useful management practice for controlling soil root distribution or shoot partitioning.


2020 ◽  
Vol 453 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 515-528 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amit Kumar ◽  
Richard van Duijnen ◽  
Benjamin M. Delory ◽  
Rüdiger Reichel ◽  
Nicolas Brüggemann ◽  
...  

Abstract Aims Root system responses to the limitation of either nitrogen (N) or phosphorus (P) are well documented, but how the early root system responds to (co-) limitation of one (N or P) or both in a stoichiometric framework is not well-known. In addition, how intraspecific competition alters plant responses to N:P stoichiometry is understudied. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the effects of N:P stoichiometry and competition on root system responses and overall plant performance. Methods Plants (Hordeum vulgare L.) were grown in rhizoboxes for 24 days in the presence or absence of competition (three vs. one plant per rhizobox), and fertilized with different combinations of N:P (low N + low P, low N + high P, high N + low P, and high N + high P). Results Shoot biomass was highest when both N and P were provided in high amounts. In competition, shoot biomass decreased on average by 22%. Total root biomass (per plant) was not affected by N:P stoichiometry and competition but differences were observed in specific root length and root biomass allocation across soil depths. Specific root length depended on the identity of limiting nutrient (N or P) and competition. Plants had higher proportion of root biomass in deeper soil layers under N limitation, while a greater proportion of root biomass was found at the top soil layers under P limitation. Conclusions With low N and P availability during early growth, higher investments in root system development can significantly trade off with aboveground productivity, and strong intraspecific competition can further strengthen such effects.


Crop Science ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 59 (4) ◽  
pp. 1516-1530 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jinyoung Y. Barnaby ◽  
Shannon R. M. Pinson ◽  
Jaebuhm Chun ◽  
Liem T. Bui

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khondoker M. G. Dastogeer ◽  
Mst Ishrat Zahan ◽  
Md. Tahjib-Ul-Arif ◽  
Mst Arjina Akter ◽  
Shin Okazaki

Soil salinity often hinders plant productivity in both natural and agricultural settings. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF) symbionts can mediate plant stress responses by enhancing salinity tolerance, but less attention has been devoted to measuring these effects across plant-AMF studies. We performed a meta-analysis of published studies to determine how AMF symbionts influence plant responses under non-stressed vs. salt-stressed conditions. Compared to non-AMF plants, AMF plants had significantly higher shoot and root biomass (p &lt; 0.0001) both under non-stressed conditions and in the presence of varying levels of NaCl salinity in soil, and the differences became more prominent as the salinity stress increased. Categorical analyses revealed that the accumulation of plant shoot and root biomass was influenced by various factors, such as the host life cycle and lifestyle, the fungal group, and the duration of the AMF and salinity treatments. More specifically, the effect of Funneliformis on plant shoot biomass was more prominent as the salinity level increased. Additionally, under stress, AMF increased shoot biomass more on plants that are dicots, plants that have nodulation capacity and plants that use the C3 plant photosynthetic pathway. When plants experienced short-term stress (&lt;2 weeks), the effect of AMF was not apparent, but under longer-term stress (&gt;4 weeks), AMF had a distinct effect on the plant response. For the first time, we observed significant phylogenetic signals in plants and mycorrhizal species in terms of their shoot biomass response to moderate levels of salinity stress, i.e., closely related plants had more similar responses, and closely related mycorrhizal species had similar effects than distantly related species. In contrast, the root biomass accumulation trait was related to fungal phylogeny only under non-stressed conditions and not under stressed conditions. Additionally, the influence of AMF on plant biomass was found to be unrelated to plant phylogeny. In line with the greater biomass accumulation in AMF plants, AMF improved the water status, photosynthetic efficiency and uptake of Ca and K in plants irrespective of salinity stress. The uptake of N and P was higher in AMF plants, and as the salinity increased, the trend showed a decline but had a clear upturn as the salinity stress increased to a high level. The activities of malondialdehyde (MDA), peroxidase (POD), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) as well as the proline content changed due to AMF treatment under salinity stress. The accumulation of proline and catalase (CAT) was observed only when plants experienced moderate salinity stress, but peroxidase (POD) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were significantly increased in AMF plants irrespective of salinity stress. Taken together, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi influenced plant growth and physiology, and their effects were more notable when their host plants experienced salinity stress and were influenced by plant and fungal traits.


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