Foliar Application of Boron Nanoencapsulated in Almond Trees Allows B Movement Within Tree and Implements Water Uptake and Transport Involving Aquaporins.

Juan J Rios,Gloria Bárzana,Micaela Carvajal,Alberto Martinez-Alonso,Alvaro Lopez-Zaplana

doi:10.3389/fpls.2021.752648

Juan J Rios, Gloria Bárzana + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2021.752648

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Abstract

Nanotechnology brings to agriculture new forms of fertilizer applications, which could be used to reduce environmental contamination and increase efficiency. In this study, foliar fertilization with nanoencapsulated boron (B) was studied in comparison to an ionic B (non-encapsulated) application in young B-deficient almond trees grown under a controlled environment. B movement within the plant in relation to the leaf gas exchange, water relations parameters, and root hydraulic conductance was measured. Also, the expression of aquaporins (AQPs) [plasma membrane intrinsic protein (PIP) and tonoplast intrinsic protein (TIP)] was studied in relation to water uptake and transport parameters to establish the effectiveness of the different B treatments. The obtained results were associated with a high concentration of observed B with nanoencapsulated B, provided by the higher permeability of carrier nanovesicles, which allowed B to reach the cell wall more efficiently. The increases in water uptake and transport obtained in these plants could be related to the role that this element played in the cell wall and the relationship that it could have in the regulation of the expression of AQPs and their involvement in water relations. Also, an increase in the expression of PIPs (mainly PIP2.2) to the applied nanoencapsulated B could be related to the need for B and water transport, and fine regulation of TIP1.1 in relation to B concentration in tissues provides an important feature in the remobilization of B within the cell.

Highlights

At present, the use of nanotechnology-based methods has increased the scientific development of multidisciplinary strategies and their usefulness (Moradi et al, 2020)
Soil chemical fertilizers have provided a good solution for maintaining production, but the pollution problems derived from the massive application of this kind of fertilization have provoked to result in the shifting of fertilization methods, with new methods such as a foliar application being currently investigated (Zulfiqar et al, 2019)
Some of them have been conducted at our laboratory, where it was demonstrated that proteoliposomes from natural membranes could be a perfect carrier (Yepes-Molina et al, 2020), and they could be more effective fertilizers if microelements were nanoencapsulated than when compared to the free application of different salts (Rios et al, 2019)

Summary

Introduction

The use of nanotechnology-based methods has increased the scientific development of multidisciplinary strategies and their usefulness (Moradi et al, 2020). Some of them have been conducted at our laboratory, where it was demonstrated that proteoliposomes from natural membranes could be a perfect carrier (Yepes-Molina et al, 2020), and they could be more effective fertilizers if microelements were nanoencapsulated than when compared to the free application of different salts (Rios et al, 2019). In this regard, a recent work carried out by Rios et al (2020) showed that nanoencapsulation increased the absorption of certain elements through leaves

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