Abstract
The effect of the source of nitrogen nutrition (ammonium or nitrate), onthe response of pea plants to a moderate saline stress (30 mMNaCl)was studied. Growth declined under saline stress but nitrate-fed plants wereless sensitive to salinity than ammonium-fed plants. This different sensitivitywas due mainly to a better maintenance of root growth in nitrate-fed plants.Organic nitrogen content decreased significantly in roots of ammonium-fedplants. Water relations changed slightly under saline stress leading to adecrease in stomatal conductance, which was correlated to a decline in carbonassimilation rates regardless of nitrogen source. Salinity affects the uptakeofseveral nutrients in a different way, depending on the nitrogen source. Thus,chloride was accumulated mainly in nitrate-fed plants, displacing nitrate,whereas sodium was accumulated mainly in ammonium-fed plants, especially inroots, displacing other cations such as ammonium and potassium. It is concludedthat the nitrogen source (ammonium or nitrate) is a major factor affecting pearesponses to saline stress, plants being more sensitive when ammonium is thesource used. The different sensitivity is discussed in terms of a competitionfor energy between nitrogen assimilation and sodium exclusion processes.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Amthor J.S. 1984. The role of the maintenance respiration in plant growth. Plant Cell Environ. 7: 561–569.
AOAC 1990. Official methods of analysis.: 127–129.
Ashraf M. 1994. Breeding for salinity tolerance in plants. CRC Crit. Rev. Plant Sci. 13: 17–42.
Barker A.V. and Mills H.A. 1980. Ammonium and nitrate nutrition of horticultural crops. Hortic. Rev. 2: 395–423.
Barker A.V., Volk R.J. and Jackson W.A. 1966. Growth and nitrogen distribution patterns in bean plants Phaseolus vulgaris L. subjected to ammonium nutrition: I Effects of carbonates and acidity control. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. Proc. 30: 228–232.
Berry J.A. and Downton W.J.S. 1982. Environmental regulation of photosynthesis. In: Govindjee M. (ed.), Photosynthesis: Development, Carbon metabolism and Plant Productivity. Vol. 2. Academic Press, New York, pp. 263–343.
Bloom A.J., Sukrapanna S.S. and Warner R.L. 1992. Root respiration associated with ammonium and nitrate absorption and assimilation by barley. Plant Physiol. 99: 1294–1301.
Botella M.A., Martínez V., Nieves M. and Cerdá A. 1997. Effect of salinity on the growth and nitrogen uptake by wheat seedlings. J. Plant Nutr. 20: 793–804.
Bourgeais-Chaillou P., Perez-Alfocea F. and Guerrier G. 1992. Comparative effects of N-sources on growth and physiological responses of soybean exposed to NaCl-stress. J. Exp. Bot. 43: 1225–1233.
Chaillou S., Rideout J.W., Raper C.D. and Morot-Gaudry J.F. 1994. Responses of soybean to ammonium and nitrate supplied in combination to the whole root system or separately in a splitroot system. Physiol. Plant. 90: 259–268.
Cramer G.R., Läuchli A. and Polito V.S. 1985. Displacement of Ca2+ by Na+ from the plasmalemma of root cells. A primary response to salt stress?. Plant Physiol. 79: 207–211.
Evangelou V.P. 1994. Influence of sodium on soils of humid regions. In: Pessarakli M. (ed.), Handbook of Plant and Crop Stress. Marcel Dekker, New York, pp. 31–62.
Frechilla S., Gonzalez E.M., Royuela M., Arrese-Igor C., Lamsfus C. and Aparicio-Tejo P.M. 1999. Source of nitrogen nutrition affects pea growth involving changes in stomatal conductance and photorespiration. J. Plant Nutr. 22: 911–926.
Glenn E.P., Brown J.J. and Blumwald E. 1999. Salt tolerance and crop potential of halophytes. CRC Crit. Rev. Plant Sci. 18: 227–255.
Grattan S.R. and Grieve C.M. 1994. Mineral nutrient acquisition and response by plants grown in saline environments. In: Pessarakli M. (ed.), Handbook of Plant and Crop Stress. Marcel Dekker, New York, pp. 203–226.
Greenway H. and Munns R. 1980. Mechanisms of salt tolerance in nonhalophytes. Annu. Rev. Plant Physiol. 31: 149–190.
Hawkins H.J. and Lewis O.A.M. 1993. Effect of NaCl salinity, nitrogen form, calcium and potassium concentration on nitrogen uptake and kinetics in Triticum aestivum L. cv. Gamtoos. New Phytol. 124: 171–177.
Kafkafi U., Valoras N. and Letey J. 1982. Chloride interaction with nitrate and phosphate nutrition in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L.). J. Plant Nutr. 5: 1369–1385.
Leidi E.O., Silberbush M. and Lips S.H. 1991. Wheat growth as affected by nitrogen type, pH and salinity. I. Biomass production and mineral composition. J. Plant Nutr. 14: 235–246.
Lewis O.A.M. 1986. The processing of inorganic nitrogen by the plant. In: Plants and Nitrogen. Edward Arnold Publishers Ltd, London, pp. 21–41.
Lewis O.A.M., Leidi E.O. and Lips S.H. 1989. Effect of N source on growth response to salinity stress in maize and wheat. New Phytol. 111: 155–160.
Marschner H. 1986. Mineral Nutrition of Higher Plants. 2nd edn. Academic Press, London.
Niu X., Bressan R., Hasegawa P. and Pardo J. 1995. Ion homeostasis in NaCl stress environments. Plant Physiol. 109: 735–742.
Pessarakli M. and Tucker T.C. 1985. Ammonium (15N) metabolism in cotton under salt stress. J. Plant Nutr. 8: 1025–1045.
Rigaud J. and Puppo A. 1975. Indole-3-acetic catabolism by soybean bacteroid. J. Gen. Microbiol. 88: 223–228.
Scholander P.F., Hammel H.T., Bradstreet E.D. and Hemmingsen E.A. 1965. Sap pressure in vascular plants. Science. 148: 339–346.
Sibole J.V., Montero E., Cabot C., Poschenrieder C. and Barceló J. 1998. Role of sodium in the ABA-mediated long-term growth response of bean to salt stress. Physiol. Plant. 104: 299–305.
Silberbush M. and Lips S.H. 1998. Nitrogen concentration, ammonium/ nitrate ratio and NaCl concentration in vegetative and reproductive growth of peanuts. Physiol. Plant. 74: 493–498.
Solomon M., Ariel R., Hodson M.J., Mayer A. and Poljakoff-Mayber A. 1987. Ion absorption and allocation of carbon resources in excised pea roots grown in liquid medium in absence or presence of NaCl. Ann. Bot. 59: 387–398.
Speer M. and Kaiser W.M. 1994. Replacement of nitrate by ammonium as the nitrogen source increases the salt sensitivity of pea plants II Inter-and intracellular solute compartmentation in leaflets. Plant Cell Environ. 17: 1223–1231.
Speer M., Brune A. and Kaiser W.M. 1994. Replacement of nitrate by ammonium as the nitrogen source increases the salt sensitivity of pea plants I Ion concentrations in roots and leaves. Plant Cell Environ. 17: 1215–1221.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Frechilla, S., Lasa, B., Ibarretxe, L. et al. Pea responses to saline stress is affected by the source of nitrogen nutrition (ammonium or nitrate). Plant Growth Regulation 35, 171–179 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1014487908495
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1014487908495