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Growth of Cotton Plants on Nitrate and Ammonium Nitrogen 1
Author(s) -
Radin J. W.,
Sell C. R.
Publication year - 1975
Publication title -
crop science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.76
H-Index - 147
eISSN - 1435-0653
pISSN - 0011-183X
DOI - 10.2135/cropsci1975.0011183x001500050028x
Subject(s) - ammonium , nitrate , biology , nitrate reductase , nitrogen , ammonium nitrate , vegetative reproduction , nitrification , yield (engineering) , greenhouse , agronomy , botany , horticulture , chemistry , ecology , materials science , organic chemistry , metallurgy
Vegetative and reproductive growth of cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum L.) were evaluated in the greenhouse on media containing nitrate or ammonium or both, to test for interactions between the two N sources on growth and yield. An inhibitor of nitrification was included in all treatments. Both N sources supported vegetative growth, although there was little response to increments of nitrate above meq/liter under the conditions of the test. Combinations of the two N sources did not support better growth than either one alone, except at low total N levels, perhaps because ammonium at ≥ 2 meq/liter inhibited in vivo nitrate reductase activity. Reproductive growth of the plants was enhanced by N; however, 9 meq/liter nitrate was less effective than lower concentrations of either source, or their combination, in promoting fruitfulness and N accumulation relative to the vegetative parts. The failure to find a synergistic interaction in response to the two sources suggests that cotton responds to N source differently from some other crop species.