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Considerations on the shuttle mechanism of FeEDDHA chelates at the soil-root interface in case of Fe deficiency

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Abstract

Aim

A mechanism of action for the performance of Fe chelates as soil-applied fertilizer has been hypothesized by Lindsay and Schwab (J Plant Nutr 5:821–840, 1982), in which the ligand participates in a cyclic process of delivering Fe at the root surface and mobilizing Fe from the soil. This “shuttle mechanism” seems appealing in view of fertilizer efficiency, but little is known about its performance. The chelate FeEDDHA is a commonly used Fe fertilizer on calcareous soils.

Methods

In this study, the performance of the shuttle mechanism has been examined for FeEDDHA chelates in soil interaction and pot trial experiments.

Results

The specificity of EDDHA ligands for chelating Fe from soils of low Fe availability is limited. Experimental support for a shuttle mechanism in soil-plant systems with FeEDDHA was found: specific metal mobilization only occurred upon FeEDDHA-facilitated Fe uptake. The mobilized metals originated at least in part from the root surface instead of the soil.

Conclusion

The results from this study support the existence of a shuttle mechanism with FeEDDHA in soil application. If the efficiency of the shuttle mechanism is however largely controlled by metal availability in the bulk soil, it is heavily compromised by complexation of competing cations: Al, Mn and particularly Cu.

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Notes

  1. o,o-H4EDDHA and o,p-H4EDDHA were kindly provided by AKZO-Nobel

  2. This is illustrated by the Co mobilization data from soil interaction experiment 1, presented as Supporting Information (SI-Figure 7).

Abbreviations

o,o-FeEDDHA:

Iron (3+) ethylene diamine-N,N′-bis(2-hydroxy phenyl acetic acid) complex

o,p-FeEDDHA:

Iron (3+) ethylene diamine-N-(2-hydroxy phenyl acetic acid)-N′-(4-hydroxy phenyl acetic acid) complex

DOC:

Dissolved organic carbon

DTPA:

Diethylene triamine penta acetic acid

EDTA:

Ethylene diamine tetra acetic acid

ICP-MS/AES:

Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry/atomic emission spectrometry

SOC:

Soil organic carbon

SOM:

Soil organic matter

HFO:

Hydrous ferric oxide

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to express their sincere appreciation and gratitude to the following: AkzoNobel for financing this project which was initiated by P. Weijters and M. Bugter, Rob Dijcker and Marina Hernandez-Lopez for conducting a part of the experimental work and P. Nobels for his help with the ICP-measurements.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Soil Quality, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands

    Walter D. C. Schenkeveld, Erwin J. M. Temminghoff & Willem H. van Riemsdijk

  2. Department CFC-CMS, AkzoNobel Chemicals BV, P.O. Box 10, 7400 AA, Deventer, The Netherlands

    Arjen M. Reichwein

  3. Department of Environmental Geosciences, Center for Earth Science, 1090, Wien, Althanstraße 14 (UZA II), Austria

    Walter D. C. Schenkeveld

Authors
  1. Walter D. C. Schenkeveld
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  2. Arjen M. Reichwein
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  3. Erwin J. M. Temminghoff
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  4. Willem H. van Riemsdijk
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Walter D. C. Schenkeveld.

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Responsible Editor: Jian Feng Ma.

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SI-Figure 1

Percentage of a) racemic o,o-EDDHA; b) meso o,o-EDDHA; and c) o,p-EDDHA added, chelated to Fe, Cu, Mn and Al in solution upon interaction with Xeraco L soil as a function of time. Error bars indicate standard deviations. (DOC 162 kb)

SI-Figure 2

Percentage of a) racemic o,o-EDDHA; b) meso o,o-EDDHA; and c) o,p-EDDHA added, chelated to Fe, Cu, Mn and Al in solution upon interaction with Nadec soil as a function of time. Error bars indicate standard deviations. (DOC 260 kb)

SI-Figure 3

Percentage of a) racemic o,o-EDDHA; b) meso o,o-EDDHA; and c) o,p-EDDHA added, chelated to Fe, Cu, Mn and Al in solution upon interaction with Hofuf soil as a function of time. Error bars indicate standard deviations. (DOC 163 kb)

SI-Figure 4

Metal-EDDHA concentrations in solution after 24 hours of interaction between EDDHA isomers and Xeraco L soil as a function of the concentration of a) racemic o,o-EDDHA; b) meso o,o-EDDHA; and c) o,p-EDDHA added. Error bars indicate standard deviations. (DOC 258 kb)

SI-Figure 5

Metal-EDDHA concentrations in solution after 24 hours of interaction between EDDHA isomers and Nadec soil as a function of the concentration of a) racemic o,o-EDDHA; b) meso o,o-EDDHA; and c) o,p-EDDHA added. Error bars indicate standard deviations. (DOC 260 kb)

SI-Figure 6

Metal-EDDHA concentrations in solution after 24 hours of interaction between EDDHA isomers and Hofuf soil as a function of the concentration of a) racemic o,o-EDDHA; b) meso o,o-EDDHA; and c) o,p-EDDHA added. Error bars indicate standard deviations. (DOC 152 kb)

SI-Figure 7

Percentage of EDDHA isomers added, chelated to Co in solution upon interaction with a) Santomera soil; b) Xeraco L soil; c) Nadec soil; and d) Hofuf soil as a function of time. Error bars indicate standard deviations. (DOC 170 kb)

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Schenkeveld, W.D.C., Reichwein, A.M., Temminghoff, E.J.M. et al. Considerations on the shuttle mechanism of FeEDDHA chelates at the soil-root interface in case of Fe deficiency. Plant Soil 379, 373–387 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-014-2057-1

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