Abstract
Nitrogen (N) is essential for proper plant growth and its application has proven to be critical for agricultural produce. However, for unavoidable economic and environmental problems associated with excessive use of N-fertilizers, it is an urgent demand to manage application of fertilizers. Improving the N-use efficiency (NUE) of crop plants to sustain productivity even at low N levels is the possible solution. In the present investigation, contrasting low-N sensitive (HM-4) and low-N tolerant (PEHM-2) genotypes were identified and used for comparative proteome-profiling of leaves under optimum and low N as well as restoration of low N on 3rd (NR3) and 5th (NR5) days after re-supplying N. The analysis of differential expression pattern of proteins was performed by 2-D gel electrophoresis. Significant variations in the expression of proteins were observed under low N, which were genotype specific. In the leaf proteome, 25 spots were influenced by N treatment and four spots were different between the two genotypes. Most of the proteins that were differentially accumulated in response to N level and were involved in photosynthesis and metabolism, affirming the relationship between N and carbon metabolism. In addition to this, greater intensity of some defense proteins in the low N tolerant genotype was found that may have a possible role in imparting it tolerance under N starvation conditions. The new insights generated on maize proteome in response to N-starvation and restoration would be useful toward improvement of NUE in maize.
Highlights
Present environmental scenario of the globe and the concurrent need for adequate food productivity makes it essential to consider an approach that sustains the environment and the food economy at the same time
Among the various traits in PC1, the maximum variation was explained by chlorophyll (17.03%), root length (15.7%), root-to-shoot ratio (13.3%) and photosynthesis (8.5%)
Understanding how plant genes respond to low N stress is essential for formulating approaches to manipulating genes for improving nutrient use efficiency
Summary
Present environmental scenario of the globe and the concurrent need for adequate food productivity makes it essential to consider an approach that sustains the environment and the food economy at the same time. Excessive use of fertilizer application is causing severe environmental. Need of the hour is to reduce the use of fertilizers without any penalty on crop productivity (Hakeem et al, 2013). N is applied in the form of various nitrogenous fertilizers (Prasad, 1998). Worldwide nitrogenous fertilizer consumption is 113.06 million tons (FAO, 2011). It is worth concern that the agricultural crop plants specially wheat, rice and maize utilize only 30–40% of the applied N. Rest of the 60–70% of applied N remains unutilized at the agricultural field, causing severe environmental and health hazards (Hakeem et al, 2011). Every year 100 teragram of nitrogen is released into the environment in the form of nitrous oxide from the agricultural fields. The nitrous oxide has 300 times more global warming effect than carbon dioxide (EPA, 2010)
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