Abstract
Soil fertility is declining in low-input agriculture due to insufficient fertilizer application by small-scale farmers. On the other hand, concerns are rising regarding the environmental pollution of both air and water in high-input agriculture due to the excessive use of N fertilizers in short growing seasons for vegetable crops, which is directly linked to the health of human beings and environmental safety. This study aimed to determine genotypic differences in the Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE) levels of different leafy vegetable species (Arugula, Spinach, Cress, Parsley, and Dill) grown hydroponically under two different N rates, low N (0.3 mM) and high N (3.0 mM), and to identify the plant traits that are contributing to NUE. A nutrient solution experiment was conducted between March and April 2024 by using an aerated Deep-Water Culture (DWC) technique in a fully automated climate room with a completely randomized block design (CRBD) with three replications for five weeks. The results indicated that shoot growth, as well as root morphological and leaf physiological responses, was significantly (p < 0.001) affected by genotype, the N rate, and genotype–N rate interactions. Shoot growth in some vegetable species (Arugula, Spinach, and Cress) was significantly higher under a low N than a high N rate, illustrating that they have a great capability for NUE under low N stress conditions. Similar results were also recorded for the root growth of the N-efficient species under low N rates. The NUE levels of these species were closely associated with leaf physiological (leaf area, leaf chlorophyll index (SPAD), photosynthesis, and total leaf chlorophyll (a + b) and carotenoids) and root morphological (root length, root volume, and average root diameter) characteristics. These plant traits could be useful indicators for the selection and breeding of ‘N-efficient’ leafy vegetable species for sustainable low-input agriculture systems in the future. However, further investigation should be carried out at the field level to confirm their commercial production viability.
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Claims 11
Claim · model-written summary
Shoot growth varied significantly with genotype, N rate and their interaction.
Not reportedDirection
Verbatim
e0“shoot growth, as well as root morphological and leaf physiological responses, was significantly (p < 0.001) affected by genotype, the N rate, and genotype–N rate interactions.”
t0“Leafy Vegetable Species”
Claim · model-written summary
Root morphology varied significantly with genotype, N rate and their interaction.
Not reportedDirection
Verbatim
e0“root morphological and leaf physiological responses, was significantly (p < 0.001) affected by genotype, the N rate, and genotype–N rate interactions.”
t0“Leafy Vegetable Species”
Claim · model-written summary
Leaf physiology varied significantly with genotype, N rate and their interaction.
Not reportedDirection
Verbatim
e0“leaf physiological responses, was significantly (p < 0.001) affected by genotype, the N rate, and genotype–N rate interactions.”
t0“Leafy Vegetable Species”
Claim · model-written summary
Arugula shoot growth was higher at low than high N.
- Taxon
- Arugula
Eruca vesicaria subsp. sativae0 - Treatment
- low Ne0
- Outcome
- Shoot growthe0
- Direction
- highere0
- Comparator
- high N ratee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Shoot growth in some vegetable species (Arugula, Spinach, and Cress) was significantly higher under a low N than a high N rate”
Claim · model-written summary
Spinach shoot growth was higher at low than high N.
- Taxon
- Spinach
Spinacia oleraceae0 - Treatment
- low Ne0
- Outcome
- Shoot growthe0
- Direction
- highere0
- Comparator
- high N ratee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Shoot growth in some vegetable species (Arugula, Spinach, and Cress) was significantly higher under a low N than a high N rate”
Claim · model-written summary
Cress shoot growth was higher at low than high N.
Verbatim
e0“Shoot growth in some vegetable species (Arugula, Spinach, and Cress) was significantly higher under a low N than a high N rate”
Claim · model-written summary
N-efficient species had similar root growth responses at low N rates.
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Verbatim
e0“Similar results were also recorded for the root growth of the N-efficient species under low N rates.”
Claim · model-written summary
NUE was closely associated with leaf area, SPAD and photosynthesis.
- Taxon
- these speciese0
- Organ / stage
- leafe0
- Outcome
- NUE levelse0
- Qualifier
- leaf area, leaf chlorophyll index (SPAD), photosynthesise0
Not reportedDirection
Verbatim
e0“The NUE levels of these species were closely associated with leaf physiological (leaf area, leaf chlorophyll index (SPAD), photosynthesis, and total leaf chlorophyll (a + b) and carotenoids)”
Claim · model-written summary
NUE was closely associated with leaf chlorophyll and carotenoids.
- Taxon
- these speciese0
- Organ / stage
- leafe0
- Outcome
- NUE levelse0
- Qualifier
- total leaf chlorophyll (a + b) and carotenoidse0
Not reportedDirection
Verbatim
e0“The NUE levels of these species were closely associated with leaf physiological (leaf area, leaf chlorophyll index (SPAD), photosynthesis, and total leaf chlorophyll (a + b) and carotenoids)”
Claim · model-written summary
NUE was closely associated with root length, volume and diameter.
- Taxon
- these speciese0
- Organ / stage
- roote0
- Outcome
- NUE levelse0
- Qualifier
- root length, root volume, and average root diametere0
Not reportedDirection
Verbatim
e0“The NUE levels of these species were closely associated with leaf physiological (leaf area, leaf chlorophyll index (SPAD), photosynthesis, and total leaf chlorophyll (a + b) and carotenoids) and root morphological (root length, root volume, and average root diameter) characteristics.”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors propose these traits as indicators for selecting N-efficient leafy vegetables.
Verbatim
e0“These plant traits could be useful indicators for the selection and breeding of ‘N-efficient’ leafy vegetable species for sustainable low-input agriculture systems in the future.”
The same questions in other papers
nitrogen · growth · Eruca vesicariaPositive and negative results
3 papers in the same direction as this paper · 2 in the opposite direction
- no effect
- no effect
- positive
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See all 6 papers →nitrogen · growth · Spinacia oleracea (spinach)Positive and negative results
27 papers in the same direction as this paper · 11 in the opposite direction · 1 reporting no difference from an alternative
- no effect
- negative
- negative
36 papers more in this group
See all 40 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.