Nitrogen and Boron Dosage Effects on Arginine Accumulation in Scots Pine Needles

Nadezhda P Chernobrovkina,Elena V Robonen,Aleksey N Pekkoev,Gulnara V Akhmetova,Gennady N Kolesnikov,Maria I Zaitseva,Ksenia M Nikerova

doi:10.3390/f13030417

Abstract

Free arginine (Arg) content was observed to multiply when the level of nitrogen (N) nutrition was high, and additional fertilization with boron (B) potentiated this effect. Owing to this feature, conifers can be suggested for use as bioproducers of Arg. Concentrations of Arg in relation to N and B fertilization needed to be better understood. The effect of soil fertilization with N and B on accumulation of these elements and free Arg in one-year-old needles of 16-year-old Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) trees was determined in this study. Plantations were fertilized with doses of N from 0 to 1000 kg ha−1 and B from 0 to 6 kg ha−1. Fertilization with 3 kg ha−1 B at N doses of 200–500 kg ha−1 stimulated the accumulation of N in needles of up to 3.1–3.6% dry weight (DW). The level of Arg in needles increased from 74.7 to 175.9 μmol g−1 DW at these levels of N and B.

Highlights

Introduction on Arginine Accumulation in ScotsBoreal coniferous forests usually grow on acidic podzolic forest soils that are deficient in mineral nutrients, first of all in nitrogen (N)
As N dosage was increased in B-deficient plots, N levels in needles rose until the N dose was 800 kg ha−1, and as N doses were elevated further, the level declined to 2.5%
On 15-year-old Scotch pine in experiments with 1 N (15 N) at a dose of 120 kg ha−1, we showed an increase in the intensity of tree growth in the second and third years after exposure to N [5]

Summary

Introduction

Boreal coniferous forests usually grow on acidic podzolic forest soils that are deficient in mineral nutrients, first of all in nitrogen (N). The effect of fertilization on tree species depends on the content of nutrients in soil and on fertilizer form and dosage [6,8,12–25]. Precommercial thinning results in an increased output of lumber, but the question of improving financial performance remains open [26]. Increasing the profitability of silvicultural actions (thinning, pruning, and fertilization) in young and middle-aged stands can be augmented by processing and utilizing the removed green tissue, thereby reducing the costs. Data on the accumulation of aboveground biomass in coniferous species are necessary to assess the reserves of tree greenery suitable for harvesting plant materials enriched with biologically active substances (BAS) [27–30]

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