Sulphur and nitrogen nutrition and misting effects on the response of bluegrass to ozone, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide or their mixture

Abstract

Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) plants, cultivars Cheri, Merion and Touchdown were grown at complete nutrition or with low S or low N. Plants were exposed to 10 ppm (v/v) O₃ for 6 h d⁻ⁱ, 15 pphm SO₂ continuously, 15 pphm NO₂ continuously, or their mixture at these concentrations for 10 days. The severity of injury was much increased by misting with deionized water for 5 min twice daily, especially with SO₂ and NO₂ single gas exposures. The misting did not have consistent effects on total S, total N, leaf area or fresh weight. Exposure to O₃ decreased leaf area without affecting S or N content, while SO₂ usually increased total S and, in some cases, increased total N. Exposure to NO₂ increased total N without affecting total S, and the mixture increased both total S and total N. Low S or low N usually enhanced the effect of SO₂ or NO₂, respectively. Leaf area and fresh weight were not as responsive to the treatments as total S and total N. Rainfall outdoors may be a major meteorological factor affecting plant injury response to gaseous pollutants.