Fe deficiency induction in Poncirus trifoliata rootstock growing in nutrient solution changes its performance after transplant to soil

Gama,  Florinda; Saavedra, Teresa; Diaz, I.; del Carmen Campillo, M. D.; de Varennes, A.; Duarte, Amílcar; Pestana, M.; Correia, P. J.

http://hdl.handle.net/10400.1/7720

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Authors

Gama, Florinda

Saavedra, Teresa

Diaz, I.

del Carmen Campillo, M. D.

Abstract(s)

The absence of iron (Fe) in the nutrient solution induces several physiological and morphological adaptations in the roots of Poncirus trifoliata, a citrus rootstock, thereby modifying its overall nutritional status. Whether these changes are advantageous when plants are transplanted to calcareous soils needs to be assessed. To achieve this objective a two-phase experiment was established, first in nutrient solution (phase I) then in pots containing different soils (phase II). In phase I, P. trifoliata L. Raf. plants were grown in Hoagland’s solution with 120 M of Fe (Fe120 treatment) or without (Fe0 treatment). At the end of phase I (87 days), Fe-chlorotic plants had less chlorophyll in apical younger leaves, root tips were swollen and their FC-R activity was enhanced, typical responses to Fe-stress. Chlorotic plants had less Fe compared to control plants, but accumulated more Cu and Zn. In contrast the root to shoot ratio (dry weight) and the amounts of macronutrients were not affected by Fe chlorosis. In phase II, plants of both treatments were transplanted to pots containing a calcareous (C) or a non-calcareous (nC) soil resulting in four treatments: Fe0nC, Fe120nC, Fe0C and Fe120C. From the end of phase I until the end of the experiment (353 days), the calcareous soil negatively affected the overall nutritional balance in both Fe0 and Fe120 treatments. Apparently, the ability to change metal homeostasis in particular Cu, as a Fe-stress response was maintained in plants grown in non-calcareous soil. Moreover, the previous induction of physiological and morphological adaptations to Fe depletion alleviated the iron chlorosis symptoms caused by soil carbonates. These results may point to the utilization of internal stress signalling as a tool to cope with different soil conditions.