Excess ammonium causes toxicity in watermelon and cucumber plants grown in nutrient solution

Autores

  • Josenyl César França da Silva Filho Universidade Federal do Piauí
  • José Airton Blamires Batalha Universidade Federal do Piauí
  • Rebecca Karolline Assunção Lima Universidade Federal do Piauí
  • Rafael Silva Melo Universidade Federal do Piauí
  • Sâmia dos Santos Matos Universidade Federal do Piauí
  • Nilzamara Mendonça do Nascimento Universidade Federal do Piauí
  • Alexson Filgueiras Dutra Universidade Federal do Piauí
  • Gabriel Barbosa da Silva Júnior Universidade Federal do Piauí

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15361/1984-5529.2021v49n3p144-151

Resumo

Excess nitrogen (N) in the form of ammonium (NH4+) in the culture medium can induce ammonium toxicity, causing physiological disturbances in plants and resulting in impaired growth and dry matter production. Thus, the aim of this study is to evaluate the growth and dry matter production of watermelon and cucumber plants grown under different nitrogen concentrations in the ammoniacal form and in nutrient solution. The experiment was carried out at the Department of Plant Science located at the Center for Agricultural Sciences, Federal University of Piauí, during the period from October to November 2017. Two cucurbit species, watermelon and cucumber, were studied separately for each experiment using a completely randomized design, with four replicates and five treatments, corresponding to the following ammonium concentrations: 0.5; 2.2; 4.5; 8.7; and 14.0 mmol L-1 NH4+. Twenty-one days after transplanting the watermelon and cucumber seedlings, the following variables were analyzed: leaf area, leaf chlorophyll index, plant height, stem diameter, root volume, root length, root dry matter, and shoot dry matter. Excess ammonium in the nutrient solution causes toxicity in watermelon and cucumber plants, decreasing plant growth and dry matter production. Symptoms of ammonium toxicity are more evident in the cucumber plant, which presented chlorosis and necrosis followed by plant death after 15 days of cultivation.

Publicado

29/09/2021

Como Citar

DA SILVA FILHO, J. C. F.; BATALHA, J. A. B.; LIMA, R. K. A.; MELO, R. S.; MATOS, S. dos S.; DO NASCIMENTO, N. M.; DUTRA, A. F.; DA SILVA JÚNIOR, G. B. Excess ammonium causes toxicity in watermelon and cucumber plants grown in nutrient solution. Científica, Dracena, SP, v. 49, n. 3, p. 144–151, 2021. DOI: 10.15361/1984-5529.2021v49n3p144-151. Disponível em: https://cientifica.dracena.unesp.br/index.php/cientifica/article/view/1376. Acesso em: 28 mar. 2024.

Edição

Seção

Solos e Nutrição de Plantas - Soils and Plant Nutrition