Modeling the Trends of Nutrient Concentration Dynamics in S-Deprived Young Maize Plants

Abstract

Sulfate deprivation altered nutrient concentrations in both shoot and root of young maize (Zea mays L.) plants. A model is presented to that simulates the trends of nutrient concentration dynamics relative to the dry mass accumulation in the roots and shoots of plants grown in sulfate-deprived nutrient solution against control. The relationship was found to adequately follow an allometric pattern, the exponent of which could be used to describe the trend of the course, whilst the differential fluctuation types for each nutrient were highlighted. Sulfate-deprivation altered the inclination of the trendline in a differential way for each nutrient, and in several cases reversed the fluctuation pattern. The exponents were ranked in decreasing order, ranking in this way the trends of the concentration dynamics for each nutrient. Observed low R²-values reflected significant scatter of the data set around the trendline.

Keywords:

• allometry
• maize
• modeling
• nutrient allocation
• power law
• S deprivation

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors thank Syngenta Hellas and G. Pontikas for the supply of maize seeds.