Summary
The production of nitrate in an old established dune grassland soil and its uptake by plants was studied by comparing amounts of mineral nitrogen and numbers of nitrifying bacteria in the rhizosphere on the one hand, and on the other accumulated nitrate and levels of nitrate reductase (NaR) of individual plants of three Plantago species,i. e., P. major, P. lanceolata andP. coronopus. For these three Plantago species andP. media basal levels of NaR in the absence of nitrate were determined in plants grown in culture solutions. The basal NaR levels ofP. major andP. media (species occurring on nutrient-rich soils) were significantly higher than those ofP. lanceolata andP. coronopus (species found on nutrient-poor soils). NaR activity increased in the presence of nitrate and was suppressed by ammonium.
From the numbers of nitrifying bacteria in the rhizosphere and NaR activity in the leaves it was concluded that nitrate was produced in the root environments of the three Plantago species and that the compound was taken up by the plants. NaR activities and numbers of nitrifying bacteria were higher for individuals ofP. major than for those ofP. lanceolata andP. coronopus. No correlation was found between the ammonium levels and the numbers of nitrifying bacteria in the soil, and no indications of inhibition of nitrifying bacteria in the rhizosphere were obtained. For individuals ofP. lanceolata a correlation was found between the numbers of nitrifying bacteria in the soil and NaR activity in the leaves. The results are discussed in relation to the ecological habitats of the three species.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ardakani, M. S., Rehbock, J. T. and McLaren, A. D. 1974 Oxidation of ammonium to nitrate in a soil column. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. Proc.38, 96–99.
Beevers, L. and Hageman, R. H. 1969 Nitrate reduction in higher plants. Annu. Rev. Plant Physiol.20, 495–522.
Blom, C. W. P. M. 1979 Effects on trampling and soil compaction on the occurrence of somePlantago species in coastal sand dunes. Thesis, Nijmegen.
Bremner, J. H. 1965 Inorganic forms of nitrogen.In Methods of Soil Analysis,2. Ed. C. A. Black, Chemical and microbiological properties, 1179–1237. Am. Soc. Agron. Madison (Wisc.).
Burg, P. F. J. van 1962 Internal nitrogen balance, production of dry matter and ageing of herbage and grass. Thesis, Wageningen.
Havill, D. C., Lee, J. A. and De-Felice, J. 1977 Some factors limiting nitrate utilization in acidic and calcareous grasslands. New Phytol.78, 649–659.
Havill, D. C., Lee, J. A. and Stewart, G. R. 1974 Nitrate utilization by species from acidic and calcareous soils. New Phytol.73, 1221–1231.
Jaworski, E. G. 1971 Nitrate reductase assay in intact plant tissues. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun.43, 1106.
Kempers, A. J. 1974 Determination of sub-micro quantities of ammonium and nitrates in soils with phenol-sodium-nitroprusside and hypochloride. Geoderma12, 201–206.
Kruyne, A. A., Vries, D. M. de and Mooi, J. 1967 Bijdrage tot de oecologie van Nederlandse graslandplanten. Meded.338. Inst. Biol. Scheik. Onderz. Landbouwgewassen, Wageningen.
Meiklejohn, J. 1968 Numbers of nitrifying bacteria in some Rhodesian soils under natural grass and improved pastures. J. Appl. Ecol.5, 291–300.
Purchase, B. S. 1974 Evaluation of the claim that root exudates inhibit nitrification. Plant and Soil41, 527–539.
Rice, E. L. 1974 Allelopathy. Acad. Press, New York, 353 p.
Richardson, H. L. 1938 The nitrogen cycle in grassland soils with special reference to the Rothamsted Park grass experiment. J. Agric. Sci., Camb.28, 73–121.
Siegel, S. 1956 Nonparametric statistics for the behavioral sciences. McGraw-Hill-Kogakusha, Tokyo.
Theron, J. J. 1951 The influence of plants on the mineralization of nitrogen and maintenance of organic matter in the soil. J. Agric. Sci. Camb.41, 289–296.
Troelstra, S. J. 1977 Spatial variability of soil chemical properties in an older dune area. Verh. K. Ned. Akad. Wet. Afd. Natuurkd. Reeks 2,71, 321–327.
Woldendorp, J. W. 1978 The rhizosphere as part of the plant-soil system.In Structure and functioning of plant populations. Eds. A. H. J. Freijsen and J. W. Woldendorp pp 237–267. North-Holland Publ. Comp., Amsterdam.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Grassland Species Research Group Publication No.38.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Smit, A.J., Woldendorp, J.W. Nitrate production in the rhizosphere of Plantago species. Plant Soil 61, 43–52 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02277361
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02277361