Effects of Nutrient Deficiency on Root Morphology and Nutrient Allocation in Pistacia chinensis Bunge Seedlings

Abstract

Plant growth depends on soil mineral elements, a lack of which results in reduced nutrient accumulation leading to poor growth and resistance in plants. Therefore, more information is needed about the response of Pistacia chinensis Bunge (P. chinensis) seedlings to nutrient deficiency. In this study, we investigated how soil nutrient availability affects the nutrient accumulation and root system of P. chinensis seedlings. Seedlings were cultivated under five different nutrient treatments (500 mg, 400 mg, 300 mg, 200 mg, and 100 mg N). Various indices, including seedling growth, nutrient accumulation and root morphology, were analyzed at the end of the growing season. Nutrient deficiency (300 mg, 200 mg, and 100 mg N) reduced the accumulation of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) in roots and stems, while the nutrient proportion of N, P, and K stored in the roots and root to shoot ratio (R/S) was increased at the end of growing season. Root length, root surface area, and root volume of very fine roots (<0.5 mm in diameter) and coarse roots (>3.0 mm in diameter) of the three lower nutrient treatments were significantly lower than those of the two highest nutrient treatments, while no significant difference was detected in the fine roots (1.0–3.0 mm in diameter). Instead, foliar N and K contents in seedlings treated with the two highest treatments were significantly greater than those of the three lower nutrient treatments, resulting in a greater nutrient loss ratio. However, seedlings treated with 100 mg N had significantly higher foliar P content than those treated with 500 mg. Seedlings treated with 300 mg and 200 mg N did not have restricted root nutrient accumulation but did have reduced nutrient accumulation in the stems. The 100 mg N treatment significantly reduced the root nutrient accumulation of N and K. The 500 mg N treatment did not increase the accumulation of nutrients in the storage organs compared with the 400 mg N treatment, but did increase the loss of N and K due to defoliation in autumn. In conclusion, there is a threshold for nutrient accumulation in storage organs at the nursery stage under a specific environment. P. chinensis seedlings reduced the negative effects of nutrient deficiency by promoting root growth, particularly fine roots, and increasing N and K allocation in storage organs.

Morphological and physiological plasticity response to low nitrogen stress in black cottonwood (Populus deltoides Marsh.)

“…It has also been shown that N deficiency affected the accumulation of N, phosphorus and potassium in roots, leaves and stems of Pistacia chinensis Bunge seedlings. More nutrients were transported to the root system to promote the growth of fine roots to reduce the negative effects of N deficiency (Song et al 2019). In addition, when subjected to N deficiency (0.25 mM NH 4 NO 3 ), root biomass of Populus cathayana Rehd.…”

“…When the treatment time is relatively short (3-7 weeks), the length, surface area and biomass of the roots, especially of fine roots, are significantly stimulated by N starvation (Li et al 2012;Luo et al 2015Luo et al , 2019Meng et al 2018). However, with an increase of stress time (5-6 months), root growth is significantly inhibited, although root to shoot ratios increases (Song et al 2019). The root system absorbs the necessary nutrients (mineral elements, organic matter and water) for plant growth and transports them to the leaves through the xylem.…”

Functions of dopamine in plants: a review

“…62 The root system is the first organ to be affected by changes in the nutrient content of the soil, so the growth status and configuration of the root system are important indicators of a plants ability to obtain nutrients. 63,64 Under nutrient-deficient conditions, plant roots will adapt by continuously adjusting their physiological and structural characteristics, and the degree to which they can adapt depends on their ability to change the root architecture. 65 The effects of nutrient deficiencies on plant roots manifest mainly in reductions in root length, diameter, volume, surface area, quantity, and number of root hairs.…”

Phenotypic Acclimation of Maize Plants Grown under S Deprivation and Implications to Sulfur and Iron Allocation Dynamics

“…As a result, the deprivation changed the number of axes in each root type and decreased the overall number of axes. According to Song et al [ 38 ], Pistacia chinensis plantlets decreased the negative consequences of a lack of nutrients by fostering root growth and developing N and K distribution in storage organs. In Gao et al [ 39 ], the number of the seminal roots and the first group of crown roots of maize plants grown under N deficiency was not considerably affected, demonstrating that root onset was not affected soon by N deficiency, whilst with extended low nitrogen stress, the growth of CR1 was inhibited, and the numbers of CR2 and CR3 were greatly reduced.…”