Importance of the nitrogen source in the grass species Brachiaria brizantha responses to sulfur limitation
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Importance of the nitrogen source in the grass species Brachiaria brizantha responses to sulfur limitation Fabiano Daniel De Bona & Fabiana Schmidt & Francisco Antonio Monteiro
Received: 4 April 2013 / Accepted: 27 May 2013 # Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2013
Abstract Background and aims Plant responses to S supply are highly dependent on N nutrition. We investigated the effect of S status on metabolic, nutritional, and production variables in Brachiaria brizantha treated with different N forms. Additionally, 15N and 34S root influx were determined in plants under short- and long-term S deprivation. Methods Plants were submitted to soil fertilization treatments consisted of combinations of N forms [without N, ammonium (NH4+), nitrate (NO3−) or NH4++ NO3−] at S rates (0, 15, 30, or 45 mg dm−3). N and S influx capacity was determined in hydroponicallygrown plants. Results Shoot production due to S supply increased 53, 145 and 196 % with NH4+, NH4++NO3− and NO3− treatments, respectively. No or low S impaired protein synthesis and led to high accumulation of N-NO3− and asparagine in NO3−-fed plants, both alone and with NH4+. Proline accumulation was observed in NH4+-fed plants. Short- and long-term S deprivation did not promote considerable changes in 15N influx. 34S absorption
Responsible Editor: Herbert J. Kronzucker. F. D. De Bona : F. Schmidt : F. A. Monteiro Soil Science Department, ESALQ - University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil Present Address: F. D. De Bona (*) National Wheat Research Center - Embrapa Trigo, PO Box 451, Passo Fundo, RS 99001-970, Brazil e-mail: [email protected]
decreased depending on the N form provided: NH4++ NO3− > only NH4+ > only NO3− > low N. Conclusions Including both NH4+ and NO3− forms in fertilizer increases N and S intake potential and thereby enhances plant growth, nutritional value and production. Keywords Amino acids . Ammonium nitrate . Nitrogen and sulfate root influx . Soil fertilization . Sulfur deficiency
Introduction Reduced plant production due to sulfur (S) limitation in soils is an increasingly common phenomenon worldwide (Scherer 2001). In addition to the intrinsic negative effects of S deficiency, impaired plant growth and development are strongly attributed to diminished nitrogen (N) fertilizer use efficiency by crops growing under low S availability (Ceccotti 1996). The importance of balanced N and S nutrition for improving plant production has been documented for several species, including Brachiaria brizantha (De Bona and Monteiro 2010a), Brassica napus (oilseed rape) (Dubousset et al. 2009), Trifolium repens (white clover) (Varin et al. 2010), Triticum aestivum (wheat) (Salvagiotti et al. 2009), and Lolium perenne (ryegrass) (Millard et al. 1985). In a classic work, Dijkshoorn and van Wijk (1967) showed that plants require optimum quantities and proportions of N and S in order to grow satisfactorily. Since then, correlated studies have reported that plant response to N and S fertilization is not only dependent on t
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