Abstract
Given both the adverse effects of excess N on ecosystems and the increasing interest in sustainable food production, the breeding and selection of N-efficient cultivars is an important and effective way of increasing N use efficiency (NUE). When screening for nutrient efficient cultivars, it is necessary to identify the beneficial morphological traits of nutrient-efficient genotypes. Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) is an important crop in northern Queensland which adjoins the environmentally-sensitive Great Barrier Reef, and hence there is a need to ensure that agricultural practices minimize environmental harm. A solution culture study, using programmed nutrient addition, was conducted with four N levels (100% N [330 mM], 75% N [247.5 mM], 50% N [165 mM] and 25% N [82.5 mM]) and seven tomato cultivars (Floradade, Pinnacle, Guardian, Rouge de Marmande, Grosse Lisse [GL], Roma, and Burkers Backyard). This study showed that NUE decreased as the solution N concentration increased, with Pinnacle showing the highest NUEI (internal NUE) at all N concentrations. Shoot dry weight, total plant dry weight, root dry weight, total plant length and node number showed a significant interaction (pl0.001) between cultivar and N supply level, indicating that the effect of N supply on these traits differs between cultivars. However, as the solution N concentration increased, NUEI was not correlated with biomass production. The concentration of N in the shoot tissues (pl0.01) and root tissues (pl0.001) showed significant interactions with cultivars, indicating the genotypic variation in N acquisition in tomato cultivars in response to N supply. Thus, this study demonstrated that the level of N-supply influences the root and shoot morphological traits and that these can influence NUE.The root morphology of these seven tomato cultivars was then compared to identify any genotypic variation and their effects on NUE. This study was conducted in soil-based rhizoboxes with an adequate nutrient supply under fully-controlled conditions. After six weeks, the dense root growth made assessing root system traits difficult. However, by this time, considerable differences in root morphology were evident. The seven cultivars showed significant differences in total root length (pl0.001), surface area (pl0.001), average diameter (pl0.05), shoot root ratio (pl0.05), and shoot N concentration (pl0.001) demonstrating genotypic variation in the capability of exploring the soil volume. The N concentration within the plant increased as the root length increased, thereby indicating a relationship between root length and N acquisition ability. Despite having a greater root length, and higher plant N concentration, GL, Roma and Floradade had lower NUEs than the other cultivars indicating that NUE is not only dependant upon root traits but also upon other factors such as physiological efficiency.Pinnacle and Roma showed a higher NUE compared to GL and there was no significant variation of NUE in response to N supply levels in the second experiment done in soil-based rhizoboxes with 100% (full strength) and 50% (half strength) N supply harvested at three different maturity levels (second week, third week and fourth week after planting). For all three cultivars (Pinnacle, Roma, and GL), both total root length and total root surface were higher at 50% N than at 100% N. Romashowed the highest total root length and total surface area, being higher (pl0.05) than for GL and Pinnacle at all harvesting intervals. The length of roots in all diameter classes of all three cultivars increased with decreasing N level. Similarly, the length of fine roots (l 2 mm) increased with decreasing N in a manner similar to the increase in total root length, with the magnitude of the increase ranging from approximately 25% to 50%. The shoot to root ratio was lower in the 50% N treatment than in the 100% N treatment for all cultivars at all harvesting intervals. Because of having a greater adjustability to N-stress, it was hypothesised that Pinnacle and Roma would have a higher recovery efficiency (N concentration in plant) at low N. However, Roma and GL had the highest recovery efficiencies at both low and high N at all harvesting intervals. Thus, in the present study, the adjustability of root traits in response to N stress did not necessarily correspond to enhanced recovery efficiencies. However, it appears that the cultivars were able to increase recovery efficiency through root adjustment when they are under N stress.This study aimed to investigate whether changes in root morphological traits in tomato cultivars could be used to select N-efficient cultivars for future breeding programmes. Though root morphology was indeed observed to change in response to N stress, cultivars with different N efficiency levels could not be clearly identified under the current experimental condition . However, the cultivars showed variation in root morphology (and recovery efficiency) when exposed to N stress, thereby demonstrating the importance of root morphology traits for N efficiency.
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Claims 19
Claim · model-written summary
In tomato, nitrogen use efficiency decreased as the solution N concentration increased.
- Taxon
- tomato
Solanum lycopersicumt0 - Treatment
- solution N concentratione0
- Outcome
- NUEe0
- Direction
- decreasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“NUE decreased as the solution N concentration increased”
t0“tomato”
Claim · model-written summary
Among the tomato cultivars, Pinnacle had the highest internal NUE (NUEI) at all N concentrations.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Material
- Pinnaclee0
- Outcome
- NUEIe0
- Direction
- higheste0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Pinnacle showing the highest NUEI (internal NUE) at all N concentrations”
t0“tomato”
Claim · model-written summary
Shoot dry weight, total plant dry weight, root dry weight, total plant length and node number showed a significant cultivar by N supply level interaction in tomato (direction not stated).
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- N supply levele0
- Outcome
- Shoot dry weight, total plant dry weight, root dry weight, total plant length and node numbere0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Shoot dry weight, total plant dry weight, root dry weight, total plant length and node number showed a significant interaction (pl0.001) between cultivar and N supply level”
t0“tomato”
Claim · model-written summary
The N concentration in shoot tissues (p<0.01) and root tissues (p<0.001) showed significant interactions with cultivar in tomato, indicating genotypic variation in N acquisition.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Organ / stage
- shoot tissuese0
- Outcome
- concentration of Ne0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The concentration of N in the shoot tissues (pl0.01) and root tissues (pl0.001) showed significant interactions with cultivars”
t0“tomato”
Claim · model-written summary
As the solution N concentration increased, NUEI was not correlated with biomass production in tomato.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- solution N concentratione0
- Outcome
- NUEIe0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“as the solution N concentration increased, NUEI was not correlated with biomass production”
t0“tomato”
Claim · model-written summary
The seven tomato cultivars differed significantly in total root length, surface area, average diameter, shoot root ratio and shoot N concentration.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Outcome
- total root lengthe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The seven cultivars showed significant differences in total root length (pl0.001), surface area (pl0.001), average diameter (pl0.05), shoot root ratio (pl0.05), and shoot N concentration (pl0.001)”
t0“tomato”
Claim · model-written summary
Plant N concentration increased as root length increased in the tomato cultivars.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Organ / stage
- roote0
- Outcome
- N concentration within the plante0
- Direction
- increasede0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The N concentration within the plant increased as the root length increased”
t0“tomato”
Claim · model-written summary
GL, Roma and Floradade had lower NUEs than the other cultivars despite greater root length and higher plant N concentration.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Material
- GL, Roma and Floradadee0
- Outcome
- NUEse0
- Direction
- lowere0
- Comparator
- the other cultivarse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“GL, Roma and Floradade had lower NUEs than the other cultivars”
t0“tomato”
Claim · model-written summary
Pinnacle and Roma showed a higher NUE than GL in the soil-based rhizobox experiment.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Material
- Pinnacle and Romae0
- Outcome
- NUEe0
- Direction
- highere0
- Comparator
- GLe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Pinnacle and Roma showed a higher NUE compared to GL”
t0“tomato”
Claim · model-written summary
NUE showed no significant variation in response to N supply levels (100% and 50% N) in the second, rhizobox experiment.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- N supply levelse0
- Outcome
- NUEe0
- Direction
- no significant variatione0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“there was no significant variation of NUE in response to N supply levels”
t0“tomato”
Claim · model-written summary
For Pinnacle, Roma and GL, total root length and total root surface were higher at 50% N than at 100% N.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- 50% Ne0
- Outcome
- total root length and total root surfacee0
- Direction
- highere0
- Comparator
- 100% Ne0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“For all three cultivars (Pinnacle, Roma, and GL), both total root length and total root surface were higher at 50% N than at 100% N”
t0“tomato”
Claim · model-written summary
Roma showed the highest total root length and total surface area, significantly higher (p<0.05) than GL and Pinnacle at all harvesting intervals.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Material
- Romae0
- Outcome
- total root length and total surface areae0
- Direction
- higheste0
- Comparator
- GL and Pinnaclee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Romashowed the highest total root length and total surface area, being higher (pl0.05) than for GL and Pinnacle at all harvesting intervals”
t0“tomato”
Claim · model-written summary
The length of roots in all diameter classes of the three cultivars increased with decreasing N level.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- decreasing N levele0
- Outcome
- length of roots in all diameter classese0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The length of roots in all diameter classes of all three cultivars increased with decreasing N level”
t0“tomato”
Claim · model-written summary
The length of fine roots (<2 mm) increased with decreasing N, similarly to total root length, by approximately 25% to 50%.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- decreasing Ne0
- Outcome
- length of fine rootse0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- approximately 25% to 50%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the length of fine roots (l 2 mm) increased with decreasing N in a manner similar to the increase in total root length, with the magnitude of the increase ranging from approximately 25% to 50%”
t0“tomato”
Claim · model-written summary
The shoot to root ratio was lower in the 50% N treatment than in the 100% N treatment for all cultivars at all harvesting intervals.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- 50% N treatmente0
- Outcome
- shoot to root ratioe0
- Direction
- lowere0
- Comparator
- 100% N treatmente0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The shoot to root ratio was lower in the 50% N treatment than in the 100% N treatment for all cultivars at all harvesting intervals”
t0“tomato”
Claim · model-written summary
Roma and GL had the highest recovery efficiencies at both low and high N at all harvesting intervals.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Material
- Roma and GLe0
- Outcome
- recovery efficienciese0
- Direction
- higheste0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Roma and GL had the highest recovery efficiencies at both low and high N at all harvesting intervals”
t0“tomato”
Claim · model-written summary
The adjustability of root traits in response to N stress did not necessarily correspond to enhanced recovery efficiencies.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- N stresse0
- Outcome
- enhanced recovery efficienciese0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the adjustability of root traits in response to N stress did not necessarily correspond to enhanced recovery efficiencies”
t0“tomato”
Claim · model-written summary
It appears that the cultivars were able to increase recovery efficiency through root adjustment under N stress.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- N stresse0
- Outcome
- recovery efficiencye0
- Qualifier
- root adjustmente0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“it appears that the cultivars were able to increase recovery efficiency through root adjustment when they are under N stress”
t0“tomato”
Claim · model-written summary
Cultivars with different N efficiency levels could not be clearly identified under the current experimental condition.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Outcome
- cultivars with different N efficiency levels could not be clearly identifiede0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“cultivars with different N efficiency levels could not be clearly identified under the current experimental condition”
t0“tomato”
The same questions in other papers
nitrogen · nutrient: efficiency · Solanum lycopersicum (tomato)Positive and negative results
4 papers in the same direction as this paper · 10 in the opposite direction
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- positive
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