Premium
Depletion of Nitrate Reductase Activity in Response to Soil Leaching 1
Author(s) -
Long R. C.,
Woltz W. G.
Publication year - 1972
Publication title -
agronomy journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.752
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1435-0645
pISSN - 0002-1962
DOI - 10.2134/agronj1972.00021962006400060025x
Subject(s) - nitrate reductase , nitrate , loam , leaching (pedology) , fertilizer , chemistry , soil water , agronomy , horticulture , environmental science , biology , soil science , organic chemistry
Nitrate leaches readily from sandy soils. To test the sensitivity of nitrate reductase (a substrate‐inducible enzyme) as an indicator of nitrate leaching and restoration, low, normal, and high N treatments were imposed on young tobacco ( Nicotiana tabacum L.) plants grown on a Durham sandy loam soil (Typic hapludult). Subsequent treatments imposed were soil leaching with and without a later application of replacement fertilizer. Plants were sampled at frequent intervals to determine the rapidity of changes in tissue nitrate concentration and nitrate reductase activity. Tissue nitrate concentration decreased within 24 hours after leaching in all N treatments in 1968. Nitrate reductase activity was decreased in the low and normal N treatments. The addition of replacement fertilizer resulted in increased nitrate reductase activity in the low and normal N treatments within 24 hours.