Effects of nickel and nitrogen soil fertilization on lettuce growth and urease activity

Thomas Carlos Oliveira,Alvarez V Víctor Hugo,Renildes Lúcio Ferreira Fontes,Sebastião Tavares De Rezende

doi:10.1590/s0100-06832013000300016

Thomas Carlos Oliveira, Alvarez V Víctor Hugo + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/s0100-06832013000300016

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Abstract

Nickel is a micronutrient involved in nitrogen metabolism and a constituent of the urease molecule. Plant growth and urease activity were evaluated in lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) grown in soil-filled pots in a 2 x 8 factorial design with two nitrogen (N) sources and eight Ni rates, with five replications. Nitrogen was applied at 200 mg dm-3 (half the dose incorporated into the soil at seedling transplanting and half top-dressed later) using the sources NH4NO3 (AN) and CO(NH2)2 (Ur). The Ni treatments (0, 2, 4, 8, 12, 16, 24 and 32 mg dm-3) were applied as NiCl2. The shoot dry-matter yield, leaf urease activity, Ni levels in the lettuce leaves and Ni levels extracted from soil with Mehlich-3 (M-3) and DTPA were determined. In the plants supplied with AN, the shoot dry-matter yield was higher than in those supplied with Ur. There was no difference in shoot dry matter in response to soil-applied Ni. The leaf urease activity increased with Ni application, regardless of the N source. The extractions with M-3 and DTPA were efficient to evaluate Ni availability for lettuce in the Red-Yellow Latosol.

Highlights

Seven decades ago, crop responses to the application of nickel (Ni) fertilizer in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) were described by Roach & Barclay (1946)
It is known that Ni is directly related to the nitrogen (N) metabolism of plants because Ni deficiency impairs the urease activity, resulting in accumulation of urea in the plant
In rice grown in nutrient solution, Gerendás et al (1998) found that in plants supplied with urea and Ni, the growth was impaired at the lower levels of Ni, whereas in plants supplied with NH4NO3 and Ni, growth was not affected by the micronutrient

Summary

SUMMARY

Nickel is a micronutrient involved in nitrogen metabolism and a constituent of the urease molecule. Plant growth and urease activity were evaluated in lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) grown in soil-filled pots in a 2 x 8 factorial design with two nitrogen (N) sources and eight Ni rates, with five replications. The shoot dry-matter yield, leaf urease activity, Ni levels in the lettuce leaves and Ni levels extracted from soil with Mehlich-3 (M-3) and DTPA were determined. Foram avaliados o crescimento de plantas e a atividade da urease em alface (Lactuca sativa L.) cultivada em solo em vasos, em experimento fatorial 2 x 8, com duas fontes de nitrogênio (N) e oito doses de Ni, com cinco repetições. Atividade da urease e do Ni nas folhas de alface e Ni no solo (Mehlich-3 e DTPA) foram determinados. Termos de indexação: nitrato de amônio, ureia, nutrição de plantas, Lactuca sativa L

INTRODUCTION

MATERIAL AND METHODS

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

CONCLUSIONS