The Increased Content of Micronutrients in Celery, Carrot, Parsnip and Parsley Plants after Treatment with Sodium Naphthenate

Abstract

Summary Young plants of celery, parsley, parsnip and carrot, grown in nutrient solution, were treated with sodium naphthenate (10−7 mol dm−3), applying foliar and root treatments. Both treatments affected the root content of all investigated elements present in the nutrient solution, but in a different way, depending on the plant species. An average change (increase/decrease) in the contents of investigated essential elements was about 35%. Our experiments with naphthenate showed that this treatment may enhance the efficiency of essential elements uptake and increase its content in plants without changing concentration of these elements in the nutrient solution. Especially interesting results were obtained in the case of carrot, as increased contents were observed in the elements that are usually deficient in nutrition (Fe, Zn, Mn), whereas the other remained unchanged.