Paper · 1995 · Journal of Experimental Botany

Nutrient-limited growth rates: quantitative benefits of stress responses and some aspects of regulation

V. P. Gutschick; L. E. Kay

15
claims
31
verbatim quotes
40
citations
1
research areas
—
Not open access

Abstract

Young sunflower plants (Helianthus annuus L.) under stress of low nitrate or phosphate availability exhibited increases in root: shoot ratio and in kinetic parameters for uptake. They showed no significant changes in photosynthetic utilization of either nutrient. Increases in root: shoot ratio were achieved by early and persistent suppression of shoot growth, but not root growth. Affinity for phosphate uptake, 1/Km(P), increased with phosphate stress, as did affinity for nitrate uptake, 1/Km(N), with nitrate stress. Maximal uptake rate, Vmax, for phosphate uptake increased with phosphorus stress; Vmax for nitrate did not increase with nitrogen stress. Phosphate Vmax was related strongly to root nutrient status. Decreases in Vmax with plant age were not well explained by changes in age structure of roots. Estimated benefits of acclimatory changes in root: shoot ratio and uptake kinetics ranged up to 2-fold increases in relative growth rate, RGR. The relation of RGR to uptake physiology followed predictions of functional balance moderately well, with some systematic deviations. Analyses of RGR using growth models imply no significant growth benefit from regulating Vmax, specifically, not from down-regulating it at high nutrient availability. Quantitative benefits of increases in root: shoot ratio and uptake parameters are predicted to be quite small under common conditions wherein nutrient concentrations are significantly depleted by uptake. The root: shoot response is estimated to confer the smallest benefit under non-depleting conditions and the largest benefit under depleting conditions. Even then, the absolute benefit is predicted to be small, possibly excepting the case of heterogeneous soils. Depleting and non-depleting conditions are addressed with very different experimental techniques. We note that a theoretical framework is lacking that spans both these cases, other than purely numerical formulations that are not readily interpreted.

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Claims 15

Intervention effectobservedoriginal resultpositivemeasured

Claim · model-written summary

Low nitrate or phosphate increased root:shoot ratio and uptake kinetic parameters.

Taxon
sunflower plants (Helianthus annuus L.)Helianthus annuust0
Treatment
low nitrate or phosphate availabilitye0
Outcome
root: shoot ratio and in kinetic parameters for uptakee0
Direction
increasese0

Not reportedComparator

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Helianthus annuus
Helianthus annuus · TaxonJon Sullivan · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

t0

“sunflower plants (Helianthus annuus L.)”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 6–45 · show in text ↑
e0

“under stress of low nitrate or phosphate availability exhibited increases in root: shoot ratio and in kinetic parameters for uptake”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 46–177 · show in text ↑
Intervention effectobservedoriginal resultno effectnot significant (as stated)measured

Claim · model-written summary

Nutrient limitation did not significantly change photosynthetic utilization of either nutrient.

Taxon
sunflower plants (Helianthus annuus L.)Helianthus annuust0
Outcome
photosynthetic utilization of either nutriente0
Direction
no significant changese0

Not reportedTreatmentComparator

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Helianthus annuus
Helianthus annuus · TaxonJon Sullivan · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

t0

“sunflower plants (Helianthus annuus L.)”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 6–45 · show in text ↑
e0

“no significant changes in photosynthetic utilization of either nutrient”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 191–262 · show in text ↑
Mechanismobservedoriginal resultmeasured

Claim · model-written summary

Higher root:shoot ratio resulted from early sustained suppression of shoot growth, not root growth.

Taxon
sunflower plants (Helianthus annuus L.)Helianthus annuust0
Organ / stage
shoot growthe0
Outcome
root: shoot ratioe0

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Helianthus annuus
Helianthus annuus · TaxonJon Sullivan · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

t0

“sunflower plants (Helianthus annuus L.)”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 6–45 · show in text ↑
e0

“Increases in root: shoot ratio were achieved by early and persistent suppression of shoot growth, but not root growth”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 264–381 · show in text ↑
Intervention effectobservedoriginal resultpositivemeasured

Claim · model-written summary

Phosphate stress increased phosphate uptake affinity.

Taxon
sunflower plants (Helianthus annuus L.)Helianthus annuust0
Treatment
phosphate stresse0
Outcome
Affinity for phosphate uptake, 1/Km(P)e0
Direction
increasede0

Not reportedComparator

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Helianthus annuus
Helianthus annuus · TaxonJon Sullivan · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

t0

“sunflower plants (Helianthus annuus L.)”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 6–45 · show in text ↑
e0

“Affinity for phosphate uptake, 1/Km(P), increased with phosphate stress”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 383–454 · show in text ↑
Intervention effectobservedoriginal resultpositivemeasured

Claim · model-written summary

Nitrate stress increased nitrate uptake affinity.

Taxon
sunflower plants (Helianthus annuus L.)Helianthus annuust0
Treatment
nitrate stresse0
Outcome
affinity for nitrate uptake, 1/Km(N)e0
Direction
increasede1

Not reportedComparator

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Helianthus annuus
Helianthus annuus · TaxonJon Sullivan · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

t0

“sunflower plants (Helianthus annuus L.)”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 6–45 · show in text ↑
e0

“affinity for nitrate uptake, 1/Km(N), with nitrate stress”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 463–520 · show in text ↑
e1

“increased with phosphate stress, as did affinity for nitrate uptake, 1/Km(N), with nitrate stress”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 423–520 · show in text ↑
Intervention effectobservedoriginal resultpositivemeasured

Claim · model-written summary

Phosphorus stress increased maximum phosphate uptake rate.

Taxon
sunflower plants (Helianthus annuus L.)Helianthus annuust0
Treatment
phosphorus stresse0
Outcome
Maximal uptake rate, Vmax, for phosphate uptakee0
Direction
increasede0

Not reportedComparator

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Helianthus annuus
Helianthus annuus · TaxonJon Sullivan · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

t0

“sunflower plants (Helianthus annuus L.)”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 6–45 · show in text ↑
e0

“Maximal uptake rate, Vmax, for phosphate uptake increased with phosphorus stress”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 522–602 · show in text ↑
Intervention effectobservedoriginal resultno effectmeasured

Claim · model-written summary

Nitrogen stress did not increase maximum nitrate uptake rate.

Taxon
sunflower plants (Helianthus annuus L.)Helianthus annuust0
Treatment
nitrogen stresse0
Outcome
Vmax for nitratee0
Direction
did not increasee0

Not reportedComparator

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Helianthus annuus
Helianthus annuus · TaxonJon Sullivan · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

t0

“sunflower plants (Helianthus annuus L.)”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 6–45 · show in text ↑
e0

“Vmax for nitrate did not increase with nitrogen stress”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 604–658 · show in text ↑
Associationobservedoriginal resultmeasured

Claim · model-written summary

Phosphate Vmax was strongly related to root nutrient status.

Taxon
sunflower plants (Helianthus annuus L.)Helianthus annuust0
Organ / stage
root nutrient statuse0
Outcome
Phosphate Vmaxe0

Not reportedDirection

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Helianthus annuus
Helianthus annuus · TaxonJon Sullivan · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

t0

“sunflower plants (Helianthus annuus L.)”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 6–45 · show in text ↑
e0

“Phosphate Vmax was related strongly to root nutrient status”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 660–719 · show in text ↑
Associationobservedoriginal resultmeasured

Claim · model-written summary

Changes in root age structure poorly explained age-related Vmax decreases.

Taxon
sunflower plants (Helianthus annuus L.)Helianthus annuust0
Organ / stage
age structure of rootse0
Outcome
Vmaxe0
Direction
Decreasese0

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Helianthus annuus
Helianthus annuus · TaxonJon Sullivan · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

t0

“sunflower plants (Helianthus annuus L.)”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 6–45 · show in text ↑
e0

“Decreases in Vmax with plant age were not well explained by changes in age structure of roots”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 721–814 · show in text ↑
Observationobservedoriginal resultpositivesimulated

Claim · model-written summary

Estimated acclimation benefits reached twofold increases in relative growth rate.

Taxon
sunflower plants (Helianthus annuus L.)Helianthus annuust0
Outcome
relative growth rate, RGRe0
Direction
increasese0
Value
2-folde0

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Helianthus annuus
Helianthus annuus · TaxonJon Sullivan · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

t0

“sunflower plants (Helianthus annuus L.)”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 6–45 · show in text ↑
e0

“Estimated benefits of acclimatory changes in root: shoot ratio and uptake kinetics ranged up to 2-fold increases in relative growth rate, RGR”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 816–957 · show in text ↑
Observationobservedoriginal resultsimulated

Claim · model-written summary

The RGR relationship to uptake physiology moderately matched functional balance predictions with systematic deviations.

Taxon
sunflower plants (Helianthus annuus L.)Helianthus annuust0
Outcome
relation of RGR to uptake physiologye0

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Helianthus annuus
Helianthus annuus · TaxonJon Sullivan · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

t0

“sunflower plants (Helianthus annuus L.)”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 6–45 · show in text ↑
e0

“The relation of RGR to uptake physiology followed predictions of functional balance moderately well, with some systematic deviations”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 959–1091 · show in text ↑
Observationobservedoriginal resultno effectnot significant (as stated)simulated

Claim · model-written summary

Growth models imply no significant RGR benefit from regulating Vmax.

Taxon
sunflower plants (Helianthus annuus L.)Helianthus annuust0
Outcome
growth benefit from regulating Vmaxe0
Direction
no significante0
Qualifier
high nutrient availabilitye0

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Helianthus annuus
Helianthus annuus · TaxonJon Sullivan · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

t0

“sunflower plants (Helianthus annuus L.)”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 6–45 · show in text ↑
e0

“Analyses of RGR using growth models imply no significant growth benefit from regulating Vmax, specifically, not from down-regulating it at high nutrient availability”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 1093–1258 · show in text ↑
Observationobservedoriginal resultsimulated

Claim · model-written summary

Predicted benefits from root:shoot and uptake increases are small under nutrient depletion.

Taxon
sunflower plants (Helianthus annuus L.)Helianthus annuust0
Outcome
Quantitative benefitse0
Direction
quite smalle0
Qualifier
nutrient concentrations are significantly depleted by uptakee0

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Helianthus annuus
Helianthus annuus · TaxonJon Sullivan · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

t0

“sunflower plants (Helianthus annuus L.)”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 6–45 · show in text ↑
e0

“Quantitative benefits of increases in root: shoot ratio and uptake parameters are predicted to be quite small under common conditions wherein nutrient concentrations are significantly depleted by uptake”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 1260–1462 · show in text ↑
Observationobservedoriginal resultsimulated

Claim · model-written summary

The root:shoot response had the smallest estimated benefit without depletion and largest with depletion.

Taxon
sunflower plants (Helianthus annuus L.)Helianthus annuust0
Outcome
benefite0
Qualifier
non-depleting conditions and the largest benefit under depleting conditionse0

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Helianthus annuus
Helianthus annuus · TaxonJon Sullivan · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

t0

“sunflower plants (Helianthus annuus L.)”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 6–45 · show in text ↑
e0

“The root: shoot response is estimated to confer the smallest benefit under non-depleting conditions and the largest benefit under depleting conditions”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 1464–1614 · show in text ↑
Observationobservedoriginal resultsimulated

Claim · model-written summary

Even under depletion, the absolute predicted benefit was small except possibly in heterogeneous soils.

Taxon
sunflower plants (Helianthus annuus L.)Helianthus annuust0
Outcome
absolute benefite0
Direction
smalle0
Qualifier
heterogeneous soilse0

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Helianthus annuus
Helianthus annuus · TaxonJon Sullivan · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

t0

“sunflower plants (Helianthus annuus L.)”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 6–45 · show in text ↑
e0

“Even then, the absolute benefit is predicted to be small, possibly excepting the case of heterogeneous soils”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 1616–1724 · show in text ↑

nitrogen · growth · Helianthus annuus (common sunflower)Results differ

76 papers: 63 positive, 13 negative or no effect

62 papers in the same direction as this paper · 12 in the opposite direction · 1 reporting no difference from an alternative

  1. no effect
  2. negative
  3. negative

72 papers more in this group

See all 76 papers →

nitrogen · nutrient: content · Helianthus annuus (common sunflower)Positive and negative results

22 papers: 20 positive, 2 negative or no effect

19 papers in the same direction as this paper · 2 in the opposite direction

  1. no effect
  2. negative
  3. positive

18 papers more in this group

See all 22 papers →

phosphorus · nutrient: content · Helianthus annuus (common sunflower)Positive and negative results

22 papers: 19 positive, 3 negative or no effect

18 papers in the same direction as this paper · 3 in the opposite direction

  1. no effect
  2. negative
  3. no effect

18 papers more in this group

See all 22 papers →

phosphorus · growth · Helianthus annuus (common sunflower)Positive and negative results

38 papers: 32 positive, 6 negative or no effect

31 papers in the same direction as this paper · 6 in the opposite direction

  1. negative
  2. negative
  3. negative

34 papers more in this group

See all 38 papers →

Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.