Biologia plantarum 48:67-72, 2004 | DOI: 10.1023/B:BIOP.0000024277.51293.02

Effects of Nitrate Nutrition on Nitrogen Metabolism in Cassava

J.L. Cruz1, P.R. Mosquim1, C.R. Pelacani1, W.L. Araújo1, F.M. DaMatta1,*
1 Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, MG, Brasil

Two experiments were conducted independently with plants of cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) growing in sand with nutrient solutions with four nitrate concentrations (0.5, 3, 6 or 12 mM). In leaves, nitrate-N was undetectable at the low nitrate applications; total-N, ammonium-N, amino acid-N, reduced-N and insoluble-N all increased linearly, while soluble proteins did it curvilinearly, with increasing nitrate supply. In contrast, soluble-N did not respond to N treatments. Total-N and soluble proteins, but not nitrate-N or ammonium-N, were much higher in leaves than in roots. Plants grown under severe N deficiency accumulated ammonium-N and amino acid-N in their roots. Further, plants were exposed to either 3 or 12 mM nitrate-N, and leaf activities of key N-assimilating enzymes were evaluated. Activities of nitrate reductase, glutamine synthetase, glutamate synthase and glutamate dehydrogenase were considerably lower in low nitrate supply than in high one. Despite the low nitrate reductase activity, cassava leaves showed an ability to maintain a large proportion of N in soluble proteins.

Keywords: growth; Manihot esculenta; nitrogen-assimilating enzymes; nitrogen deficiency
Subjects: amino acids; ferredoxin; glutamate dehydrogenase; glutamate synthase; glutamine synthetase; growth analysis, plant development, biomass and yield enhancement; Manihot esculenta; nitrate nutrition, cassava; nitrate reductase; nitrogen-assimilating enzymes, N-deficiency; nutrient medium, Hoagland and Arnon

Published: March 1, 2004Show citation

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Cruz, J.L., Mosquim, P.R., Pelacani, C.R., Araújo, W.L., & DaMatta, F.M. (2004). Effects of Nitrate Nutrition on Nitrogen Metabolism in Cassava. Biologia plantarum48(1), 67-72. doi: 10.1023/B:BIOP.0000024277.51293.02.
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