Improvement of the nitrogen uptake induced by titanium (iv) leaf supply in nitrogen‐stressed pepper seedlings

Abstract

The beneficial effect of titanium (Ti) on plant metabolism can result in more profitable use of fertilizer applied to a crop. A crop chamber experiment with paprika pepper (Capsicum annuum L., cv. Bunejo) seedlings under differential nitrogen (N) concentration levels in a nutrient solution (100% N, 75% N, 50% N, and 25% N) was performed. A third of the seedlings growing under each N support level remained Ti‐untreated and were used as the reference. Another third of the seedling received one and two 0.042 mM Ti(TV) ascorbate, pH 6.0, leaf spray treatments, respectively. The biomass production of the Ti‐untreated plants was only affected by the N supply of 50% or less. The Ti(IV) leaf spray treatments produced a biomass production greater than that of the corresponding reference plants, and both the 100% N+Ti and 75% N+Ti treatments had the highest biomass production. Seedlings receiving 50% N+Ti had a level of biomass production similar to that for the 100% N without Ti reference plants. In the same way, the 25% N+Ti treatment resulted in a plant fresh weight greater than that for the Ti‐untreated reference plants, although their biomass yields were not significantly lower than that for the corresponding 100% N and 75% N Ti‐untreated reference plants. Only the 50% N and 25% N Ti‐untreated plants had definite total‐N and nitrate‐nitrogen (NO₃‐N) unbalances as compared to the other N rate‐Ti treatments.

Notes

EPS‐Polytechnical University of Valencia, Orihuela, Spain.