Relation between Nitrogen Nutrition, Cytokinin Activity and Tuberization in Solanum tuberosum

Abstract

AbstractIn water‐culture experiments with potato plants (Solanum tuberosum L. cv. Ostara), the influence of tuberization initiated by a 7‐day period of nitrogen withdrawal (discont. N) on the cytokinin activity in shoots, roots and exudate was studied. Plants with a constant supply of nitrogen (cont. N) were used as control. — Whereas no tuberization could be observed with cont. N, discont. N led to tuberization already 2 days after nitrogen withdrawal and all plants had been induced after another 4 days. In the roots of plants with discont. N, there was a temporary increase in cytokinin activity, whereas the activity decreased steadily with cont. N. In the exudate, cytokinin activity was greatly reduced during nitrogen withdrawal, whereas this activity in the exudate increased steadily with cont. N. — In the shoot with cont. N cytokinin activity decreased steadily, but with discont. N, after an initial decrease, the activity increased steeply. This increase is mainly or exclusively caused by a shift between the water‐soluble and butanol‐soluble fractions of the cytokinins in favour of the latter. The shift in cytokinin activity of the shoot is assumed to be in causal connection with an increased photosynthetic activity after the onset of tuber growth as ‘sink’ for assimilates.