Abstract
Molybdenum (Mo) is an essential micro-mineral nutrient for plant growth and development. As an important legume forage, alfalfa (Medicago sativa) is frequently planted in marginal lands of northern China where water scarcity and infertile soil are limiting factors for alfalfa production. Mo plays an important role in nitrogen (N) metabolism in general and N fixation in legume species in particular. To evaluate the role of Mo fertilizer in alfalfa quality and production in semi-arid areas of northern China, we conducted a three-year field experiment in Inner Mongolia from 2012 to 2014. Mo fertilizer at the doses of 0, 150 g hm−2, 300 g hm−2yr−1 was applied consecutively across the three years. Application of Mo at 300 g hm−2yr−1 significantly increased dry yield of alfalfa in 2014. Crude protein (CP) content of alfalfa without application of Mo exhibited a decline trend from 2012 to 2014. Application of Mo significantly enhanced total CP in 2012 and 2014, and delayed the reduction in total CP across the three years. In contrast to CP, Mo fertilizer had no significant effects on neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber content. In addition, we found that nitrate reductase activity of alfalfa was increased by Mo fertilizer, which may account for the enhanced CP content in alfalfa. These findings highlight that application of Mo fertilizer can be an effective way to improve alfalfa production and quality in semi-arid areas in northern China.
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Claims 10
Claim · model-written summary
Molybdenum at 300 g hm−2yr−1 significantly raised alfalfa dry yield in 2014.
- Taxon
- alfalfa
Medicago sativae0 - Treatment
- Mo at 300 g hm−2yr−1e0
- Outcome
- dry yielde0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Qualifier
- 2014e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Application of Mo at 300 g hm−2yr−1 significantly increased dry yield of alfalfa in 2014.”
Claim · model-written summary
Alfalfa crude protein content declined from 2012 to 2014 without molybdenum application.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae0
- Outcome
- Crude protein (CP) contente0
- Direction
- declinee0
- Qualifier
- without application of Moe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Crude protein (CP) content of alfalfa without application of Mo exhibited a decline trend from 2012 to 2014.”
Claim · model-written summary
Molybdenum significantly enhanced total crude protein in alfalfa in 2012.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativat0
- Treatment
- Application of Moe0
- Outcome
- total CPe0
- Direction
- enhancede0
- Qualifier
- 2012e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Application of Mo significantly enhanced total CP in 2012 and 2014”
t0“alfalfa”
Claim · model-written summary
Molybdenum significantly enhanced total crude protein in alfalfa in 2014.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativat0
- Treatment
- Application of Moe0
- Outcome
- total CPe0
- Direction
- enhancede0
- Qualifier
- 2014e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Application of Mo significantly enhanced total CP in 2012 and 2014”
t0“alfalfa”
Claim · model-written summary
Molybdenum delayed the decline in alfalfa total crude protein over three years.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativat0
- Treatment
- Application of Moe0
- Outcome
- total CPe0
- Direction
- delayed the reductione0
- Qualifier
- across the three yearse0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Application of Mo significantly enhanced total CP in 2012 and 2014, and delayed the reduction in total CP across the three years.”
t0“alfalfa”
Claim · model-written summary
Molybdenum had no significant effect on alfalfa neutral detergent fiber content.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativat0
- Treatment
- Mo fertilizere0
- Outcome
- neutral detergent fibere0
- Direction
- no significant effectse0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Mo fertilizer had no significant effects on neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber content.”
t0“alfalfa”
Claim · model-written summary
Molybdenum had no significant effect on alfalfa acid detergent fiber content.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativat0
- Treatment
- Mo fertilizere0
- Outcome
- acid detergent fiber contente0
- Direction
- no significant effectse0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Mo fertilizer had no significant effects on neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber content.”
t0“alfalfa”
Claim · model-written summary
Molybdenum increased nitrate reductase activity in alfalfa.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae0
- Treatment
- Mo fertilizere0
- Gene
- nitrate reductasee0
- Outcome
- nitrate reductase activitye0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“nitrate reductase activity of alfalfa was increased by Mo fertilizer”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors suggest nitrate reductase activity may explain the increased crude protein content.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae0
- Gene
- nitrate reductasee0
- Outcome
- enhanced CP contente0
- Qualifier
- may account fore0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“nitrate reductase activity of alfalfa was increased by Mo fertilizer, which may account for the enhanced CP content in alfalfa.”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors recommend molybdenum fertilizer to improve alfalfa production and quality in semi-arid northern China.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae0
- Outcome
- improve alfalfa production and qualitye0
- Setting
- northern Chinae0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“application of Mo fertilizer can be an effective way to improve alfalfa production and quality in semi-arid areas in northern China.”
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See all 26 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.