biologia plantarum

Biologia plantarum 44:459-462, 2001 | DOI: 10.1023/A:1012400422848

Influence of Nitrogen Supply and Water Stress on Growth and Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium and Calcium Contents in Pearl Millet

M. Ashraf¹, M. Shabaz¹, M.Y. Ashraf²

¹ Department of Botany, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan

² Nuclear Institute for Agriculture and Biology, Faisalabad, Pakistan

Influence of supra-optimal concentrations of N on growth and accumulation of N, K, P and Ca in the shoots and roots in Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R.Br. under water stress was assessed in a pot experiment under glasshouse conditions. Thirty four-day-old plants of two lines, ICMV94133 and WCA-78, were subjected to 224, 336, or 448 mg(N) kg^-1(soil) and soil moisture 100 or 30 % of field capacity for 30 d. Increasing soil N supply decreased growth of both lines under water deficit. Nitrogen content in the shoots of both lines was not affected by supra-optimal levels of N or different watering regimes, but in contrast, the root N content was increased consistently in WCA-78 with increase in soil N content. Shoot P content increased considerably in WCA-78 at the two higher N contents, but it was significantly lower at drought stress than at well-watered treatment. In contrast, shoot or root P content in ICMV94133 did not differ under both watering regimes. Potassium content in the shoots of WCA-78 was considerably increased at the two higher N contents under drought conditions. Root K content was increased in WCA-78 at the highest N content under well-watered conditions, whereas the reverse was true in ICMV94133. Calcium content in the shoots of ICMV94133 was higher under drought stress compared with that at well-watered conditions, but such pattern was not observed in WCA-78. However, root Ca content increased in both lines with increase in N supply.

Keywords: drought stress; nutrient content; Pennisetum glaucum

Subjects: calcium, nitrogen supply, water stress; pearl millet; Pennisetum glaucum; phosphorus, water stress; potassium, nitrogen supply, water stress; water stress, nutrient contents, N supply

Published: September 1, 2001  Show citation