‘Kardinal’ Rose Exhibits Growth Plasticity and Enhanced Nutrient Absorption Kinetics Following Nitrate, Phosphate, and Potassium Deprivation

Abstract

Plant internal nutrient status is known to influence the kinetics of nutrient absorption, but little on this relationship has been reported for roses (Rosa spp. L.). The objectives of this experiment were to determine the influence of NO3, PO4, and K deprivation on plant tissue concentrations and relative growth rates and to quantify the influence of nutrient deprivation on absorption kinetic parameters. Rose plants growing in solution culture were deprived of N, P, or K for 0 to 20 days to establish differing tissue concentrations. Absorption kinetics were then determined based on the rate of NO3, PO4, or K depletion from solution over a range of concentrations. The data were fit to a modified Michaelis-Menten equation to account for the influence of internal nutrient status on absorption kinetics. Plants deprived of the nutrients for up to 20 d did not show significantly reduced root or plant fresh weight as compared with control plants. Plant tissue concentrations differed significantly by deprivation treatment and varied from 1.4% to 2.3% for N, 0.22% to 0.35% for P, and from 1.0% to 2.0% for K. Plants deprived of NO3, PO4, and K subsequently showed increased absorption rates. This was primarily expressed as an increased maximum absorption rate for NO3 and PO4. In contrast, K-deprived plants primarily exhibited an increased affinity (decreased Km) for K. The results demonstrate the plasticity of rose plants to grow and absorb nutrients under varying internal nutrient concentrations. This work quantifies the influence of rose plant nutritional status on the kinetics of NO3, PO4, and K absorption. The knowledge would be useful to improve models for providing decision support for fertilization based on plant growth rates and internal nutrient status.