Distribution profiles of dry matter and total nitrogen in leaves and stems of oriental field‐grown tobacco plants at different nitrogen levels

Abstract

Oriental tobacco plants (Nicotiana tabacum L. cv Myrodata Agrinion) were grown without nitrogen (N) fertilization (N0) and with added ammonium nitrate at a rate of 50 kg‐ha‐1 (N1) and 100 kg‐ha‐1 (N2). Non‐uniform patterns for leaf FW and DW changes per node showed a decreasing trend from lower to upper nodes during the vegetative stage. From approaching flowering to fruit set, these patterns became more uniform. Plants which were fertilized with N had increased leaf FW and DW accumulation levels and non‐uniform distribution patterns, primarily during the reproductive stage, and leaves of the lower nodes were found in the older plants. By contrast, the median values of leaf FW for the unfertilized plants were reduced during the reproductive period. The DW/FW×100 ratio values revealed a stable relationship between leaf FW and DW from the vegetative to the reproductive stage, while modified patterns of DW/FW×100 appeared later in the plant cycle. Nitrogen fertilization resulted in an early appearance of modified patterns of DW/FW×100 in the plant life cycle and higher accumulation of dry matter per unit leaf area. Patterns of total leaf N concentration showed an increasing trend from the lower to the upper nodes for all plant ages and treatments. Total N concentration values varied from 1.6%, 1.9%, and 1.8% on a dry matter basis, for the lower node up to 5.5%, 6.3%, and 6.1% for the upper node in young tobacco plants in the N o , N1, and N 2 treatments, respectively. After fruit set, a more uniform distribution of total leaf N was observed among the leaves in all treatments. Concentration values for total leaf N in older plants varied from 1.9%, 2.1%, and 2.2% for the lower node up to 3.4%, 3.3% and 3.2% for the upper node in the N 0 , N1, and N2 treatments, respectively. These results suggest a progressive decrease with plant age for total leaf N concentration in the plant as a whole. The increased N fertilizer level affected the total N level in young plants but not in the older ones. Inflorescence and fruit set periods are critical for plant N balance except for the plants which received the increased N fertilization. The determined total stem N concentration was less than that for the leaves. This change in the stem, similar to leaves, showed an increasing trend from the basal to the upper part and a decreasing trend from the vegetative to the reproductive stage. The total stem N level declined from 1.0–1.2%, 1.6–1.7%, and 2.2–2.9% on a dry matter basis to 0.5–0.6%, 1.0–1.2%, and 1.2–1.6% for the basal, middle, and upper part of the stem, respectively.