The effect of calcium deficiency on nitrate absorption and assimilation in pumpkin plants

Abstract

The absorption of nitrate and the activity of nitrate reductase were much lower in Ca-deficient plants ofCururbita pepo L., cv. ‘Kveta’ than in normal plants grown in complete nutrient solution for a period of 8 days. After the addition of nitrate to the nutrient medium, nitrate reductase activity in the roots of NO₃-deficient plants sharply rose during the first 6 h and then remained constant during the following 6 h; the content of endogenous NO₃ ⁻ rose slowly and continuously. These processes were depressed in (Ca, NO₃)-deficient plants independently of the addition of Ca²⁺ to the medium in the variant with NO₃ ⁻. Thus it seems that the whole nitrogen metabolism,i.e. both NO₃ ⁻ absorption and the synthesis of nitrate reductase, is impaired in Ca-deficient plants.