Effect of metribuzin on nitrogen metabolism and iron acquisition in Zea mays

ABSTRACT

Weed control based on herbicides is essential to guarantee high levels of crop productivity. However, these compounds can affect ecosystems and non-target crops. Therefore, a research was carried out in order to investigate the effect of metribuzin (ME) on the capacity of Zea mays L. (maize) to acquire iron (Fe). ME reduced the chlorophyll content, the concentration of phytosiderophores (PSs) released by roots and their Fe content. Both the shoots and roots of ME-treated plants showed increases in ammonia (${\mathrm{NH}}_4^{+}$) concentrations. This effect was ascribed to the decreases in the activity of glutamine synthetase (GS; EC 6.3.1.2) and glutamine amide-2-oxoglutarate aminotransferase (GOGAT; EC 1.4.1.14). The results indicate that the interference exerted by ME on nitrogen organication was the cause of the drop in the PSs release and of the reduction in the Fe content.

KEYWORDS:

• Zea mays L
• herbicide
• metribuzin
• Fe mineral nutrition
• ammonia organication
• enzyme activities

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Maria Luce Bartucca (PhD) is a Research Fellow in Agricultural Chemistry at the Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences of the University of Perugia, Italy. Her research area includes plant nutrition, plant biochemistry, environmental pollution and phytoremediation.

Tanja Mimmo is an Associate Professor in Agricultural Chemistry at the Faculty of Science and Technology of the Free University of Bolzano, Italy. She is an expert in rhizosphere biogeochemistry and plant nutrition focusing on the mechanisms driving the mobilisation, uptake and allocation of elements in crops.

Stefano Cesco is Full Professor in in Agricultural Chemistry at the Faculty of Science and Technology of the Free University of Bolzano, Italy. He has been working in the field of plant nutrition and plant physiology since more than 20 years. His research interests are mainly focused on plant nutrition and the rhizosphere processes underlying nutrient mobilisation, uptake and allocation applying chemical, biochemical, molecular and physiological approaches.

Ivan Panfili (PhD) carried out some researches on relevant topics in Agricultural Chemistry at the Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences of the University of Perugia, Italy. His research area includes plant biochemistry, environmental pollution and phytoremediation.

Daniele Del Buono is an Associate Professor in Agricultural Chemistry at the Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences of the University of Perugia, Italy. He is an expert in plant biochemistry, pesticides, herbicide–plant interaction, environmental pollution and phytoremediation.

Additional information

Funding

This work has been financially supported by the Italian MIUR (FIRB-Programma Futuro in Ricerca 2012 – RBFR127WJ9).