Improved Drought Tolerance in Marigold by Manipulation of Root Growth with Buffered-phosphorus Nutrition
Year: 2003
Type: article
Abstract: A series of experiments was conducted to investigate the response to drought stress of marigold ( Tagetes patula L. `Janie Tangerine') plants grown with reduced phosphorus. Plants were grown with convention al phosphorus fertilization (1 m m , control) or one of two levels of alumina-buffered phosphorus (Al-P), 21 or 5 μ m . Plants supplied with 21 μ m Al-P produced plants with equal total dry weight, more flowers and reduced leaf area compared to control plants. Whole-plant photosynthetic CO 2 assimilation expressed on a leaf area basis was nearly twice as high in 21 μ m Al-P plants as in controls, probably as a result of reduced intraplant shading. In plants supplied with 21 μ m Al-P, smaller leaf area resulted in reduced whole-plant transpiration. Moreover, the relative water content of the growing medium was significantly lower at wilting with 21 μ m Al-P than for control or 5 μ m Al-P regimes. The improved water acquisition with 21 μ m Al-P could be explained by increased root proliferation via longer main roots and less densely distributed lateral roots. The results indicate that optimizing phosphorus nutrition with solid-phase buffered-phosphorus fertilizer improves drought tolerance by reducing transpiration and increasing water acquisition from the medium.
Source: HortScience
Institution: Pennsylvania State University
Language: English
Subfield: Plant Science
Domain: Life Sciences
SDG: Zero hunger
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,000
OpenAlex ID: W2472646045