Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Nitrogen-efficient rice cultivars can reduce nitrate pollution

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Environmental Science and Pollution Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

An Erratum to this article was published on 27 July 2011

Abstract

Introduction

Environmental pollution by un-utilized nitrogenous fertilizer at the agricultural field is one of the key issues of the day. Rice-based cropping system, the mainstay of Indian agriculture, is one of the main sources of unused N-fertilizer since rice utilizes only 30–40% of total applied N, and the rest goes to waste and creates environmental as well as economic loss.

Methods

Identification of rice genotypes that can grow and yield well at low nitrogen levels is highly desirable for enhancement of nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). In the present study, we have identified large variability in the NUE of rice cultivars on the basis of plant with low, medium, and high levels of N in nutrient solution. To establish the basis of this wide variability in NUE, nitrate uptake kinetics and enzymes of nitrate assimilation were studied.

Results and discussion

The data of nitrate uptake kinetics revealed that the nitrate uptake is mediated by low-affinity transporter system (LATS) in N-inefficient rice cultivars and by both LATS and high-affinity transporter systems (HATS) in N-efficient genotypes. Activities of nitrate reductase, nitrite reductase, glutamine synthetase, glutamate synthase, and the soluble protein content were found to be increased in moderately N-efficient and low N-efficient cultivars with increase in external supply of nitrogen. However, a non-significant decrease in these enzymes was recorded in high N-efficient cultivars with the increase in N supply.

Conclusions

This study suggests that the HATS, high NR, and glutamine synthetase activity and the soluble protein content distribution have a key role in N efficiency of rice genotypes. These parameters may be considered in breeding and genetic engineering programs for improving the NUE of rice, which might be helpful in reducing the fertilizer loss, hence decreasing environmental degradation and improving crop productivity through improvement of nitrogen utilization efficiency in rice.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abdin MZ, Kumar PA, Abrol YP (1992) Biochemical basis of variability in nitrate reductase activity in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes. Plant Cell Physiol 33:951–956

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Abrol YP (1990) Pattern of nitrate assimilation and grain nitrogen yield in grown wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). In: Van Buischem ML (ed) Plant nutrition: physiology and application. Kluwer, Dordrecht-Boston-London, pp 773–778

    Google Scholar 

  • Abrol YP, Dhar D, Kumar PA (1988) Nitrogen metabolism. In: Plant Physiological Research in India (SP Sen ed.) Published by the Society for Plant Physiol. & Biochem. 75–83

  • Ahmad A, Khan I, Abrol YP, Iqbal M (2005) Role of sulphate transporter systems in sulphate efficiency of mustard genotypes. Plant Sci 169:842–846

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ali MB, Tripathi RD, Rai UN, Pal A, Singh SP (1999) Physico-chemical characteristics and pollution level of lake Nainital (U.P., India): role of macrophytes and phytoplankton in biomonitoring and phytoremediation of toxic metalions. Chemosphere 39:2171–2182

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ali A, Sivakami S, Raghuram N (2007) Effect of nitrate, nitrite, ammonium, glutamate, glutamine and 2-oxoglutarate on the RNA levels and enzyme activities of nitrate reductase and nitrite reductase in rice. Physiol Mol Biol Plants 13:17–25

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Anjana, Umar S, Iqbal M (2007a) Nitrate accumulation in plants, factors affecting the process and human health implications a review. Agron Sustain Dev 27:45–57

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Anjana, Umar S, Iqbal M, Abrol YP (2007b) Are nitrate concentrations in leafy vegetables within safe limits? Curr Sci 92:355–360

    Google Scholar 

  • Aslam M, Travis RL, Huffaker RC (1992) Comparative kinetics and reciprocal inhibition of nitrate and nitrate uptake in roots of uninduced and induced barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) seedlings. Plant Physiol 99:1124–1133

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Beman JM, Arrigo K, Matson PM (2005) Agricultural runoff fuels large phytoplankton blooms in vulnerable areas of the ocean. Nature 434:211–214

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bhatt TN, Sasisekharan V, Vijayan Μ (1979) An analysis of side-chain conformation in proteins. Int J Pept Protein Res 13:170

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bloom AJ (1985) Wild and cultivated barleys show similar affinities for mineral nitrogen. Oecologia 65:555–557

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bradford MM (1976) A rapid and sensitive method for the quantitation of microgram quantities of protein utilizing the principle of protein dye binding. Anal Biochem 72:248–254

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Camargo JA, Ward JV (1995) Nitrate (NO3–N) toxicity to aquatic life: a proposal of safe concentrations for two species of nearctic freshwater invertebrates. Chemosphere 31(5):3211–3216

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Camargo JA, Alonso A, Salamanca A (2005) Nitrate toxicity to aquatic animals: a review with new data for freshwater invertebrates. Chemosphere 58(9):1255–1267

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Campbell WH, Smarrelli J (1978) Purification and kinetics of higher plant NADH: nitrate reductase. Plant Physiol 61:611–616

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cao Y, Fan XR, Sun S, Xu G, Hu J, Shen Q (2008) Effect of nitrate on activities and transcript levels of nitrate reductase and glutamine synthetase in rice. Pedosphere 18:664–673

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Carezo M, Garcia-Agustin P, Serna MD, Primo-Millo E (1997) Kinetics of nitrate uptake by citrus seedlings and inhibitory effects of salinity. Plant Sci 126:105–112

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cassman KG, Dobermann A, Walters DT, Yang H (2003) Meeting cereal demand while protecting natural resources and improving environmental quality. Annu Rev Environ Resour 28:315–358

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clarkson DT (1985) Factors affecting mineral nutrition acquisition by plants. Ann Rev Plant Physiol 36:77–115

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Coque M, Gallais A (2006) Genomic regions involved in response to grain yield selection at high and low nitrogen fertilization in maize. Theor Appl Genet 112:1205–1220

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Delmer D (2005) Agriculture in the developing world: connecting innovations in plant research to downstream applications. Proc Natl Acad Sci 102(44):15739–15746

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dobermann A, Cassman KG (2004) Environmental dimensions of fertilizer N: what can be done to increase nitrogen use efficiency and ensure global food security? In: Mosier AR, Syers JK, Freney JR (eds) Agriculture and the nitrogen cycle: assessing the impacts of fertilizer use on food production and the environment. SCOPE 65. Island Press, Washington, D.C, pp 261–278

    Google Scholar 

  • Doddema H, Telkamp GP (1979) Uptake of nitrate by mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana, disturbed in uptake or reduction of nitrate. II. Kinetics. Physiol Plant 45:332–338

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dzuibany C, Haupt S, Fock H, Biehler K, Migge A, Becker T (1998) Regulation of nitrate reductase transcript level by glutamine accumulating in the leaves of a ferredoxin-dependent glutamate synthase-deficient gluS mutant of Arabidopsis thaliana, and by glutamine provided via the roots. Planta 20:515–522

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fageria NK, Baligar VC (1999) Phosphorus-use efficiency in wheat genotypes. J Plant Nutr 22:331–340

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fowler MW, Jessup W, Sarkissian GS (1974) Glutamate synthetase type activity in higher plants. FEBS Lett 46:340–342

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gallais A, Coque M, Quilleré I, Prioul JL, Hirel B (2006) Modelling post-silking N-fluxes in maize using 15N-labelling field experiments. New Phytol 172:696–707

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Glass AMD, Parley JE (1980) Varietal differences in potassium uptake by barley. Plant Physiol 65:160–164

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gourley CJP, Allan DL, Ruselle MP (1994) Plant nutrient efficiency. A comparison of definitions and suggested improvement. Plant Soil 15:29–37

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goyal SS, Huffaker RC (1986) The uptake of NO3- and NH4+ by intact wheat (Triticum aestivum) seedlings. Plant Physiol 82:1051–1056

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gupta SC, Beevers L (1987) Regulation of nitrate reductase. Cell free translation and processing. Plant Physiol 83:750–754

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Habash DZ, Massiah AJ, Rong HL, Wallsgrove RM, Leigh RA (2001) The role of cytosolic glutamine synthetase in wheat. Ann Appl Biol 138:83–89

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hirel B, Lea PJ (2001) Ammonium assimilation. In: Plant nitrogen - Lea PJ, Morot-Gaudry JF (eds.) Berlin, Springer-Verlag. 79–99

  • Hunt J, Seymour DJ (1985) Method for measuring nitrate-nitrogen in vegetables using anion-exchange high performance liquid chromatography. Analyst 110:131–133

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ida S, Morita Y (1973) Purification and general properties of spinach leaf nitrite reductase. Plant Cell Physiol 14:661–671

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jackson WA, Pan WL, Moll RH, Kamprath EJ (1986) Uptake, translocation and reduction of nitrate. In: Neyra CA (ed) Biochemical basis of nitrogen metabolism vol.2. CRC Press, Boca Ratan, pp 73–108

    Google Scholar 

  • Jeffrey A, Kaplan I, Zhang D, Shan-Tan ST, Nielsen J (2002) Environmental tracers: identifying the sources of nitrate contamination in groundwater. Soil Sed Waters 6:15–18

    Google Scholar 

  • Kirk GJD (2001) Plant-mediated processes to acquire nutrients: Nitrogen uptake by rice plants. Plant Soil 232:129–134

    Google Scholar 

  • Konesky DW, Sideeqi MY, Glass AMD, Hsiao AJ (1989) Genetic differences among barley cultivars and wild oat lines in endogenous seed nutrient levels, initial nitrate uptake rates and growth in relation to nitrate supply. J Plant Nutr 12:9–35

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kronzucker HJ, Glass ADM, Siddiqi MY, Kirk GJD (2000) Comparative kinetic analysis of ammonium and nitrate acquisition by tropical lowland rice: implications for rice cultivation and yield potential. New Phytol 145:471–476

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kumar PA, Grover HL, Abrol YP (1981) Potential for N0 −3 reduction in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). J Plant Nutr 3:843–885

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kumar PA, Raghuveer P, Abrol YP (1993) Interaction between carbon and nitrogen metabolism. In: Abrol YP, Mohanty P, Govindjee (eds) Photosynthesis—photoreactions to plant productivity. Oxford & IBH Publishing Co., N. Delhi/Kluwer, Dordrecht, pp 339–350

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Ladha JK, Pathak H, Krupnik TJ, Six J, van Kessel C (2005) Efficiency of fertilizer nitrogen in cereal production: retrospects and prospects. Adv Agron 87:85–156

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Li YL, Zhang YL, Hu J, Shen QR (2006) Contribution of nitrification happened in rhizospheric soil growing with different rice cultivars to N nutrition. Bio Fert Soils 43:417–425

    Google Scholar 

  • London JG (2005) Nitrogen study fertilizes fears of pollution. Nature 433:791

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Luo J, Sun S, Jia L, Chen W, Shen Q (2006) The mechanism of nitrate accumulation in pakchoi [Brassica campestris L.ssp. Chinensis (L.)]. Plant Soil 282:291–300

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • McNally SF, Hirel B, Gadal P, Mann AF, Stewart GR (1983) Glutamine synthetase of higher plants—evidence for a specific isoform content related to their possible physiological role and their compartmentation within the leaf. Plant Physiol 72:22–25

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mohanty B, Fletcher JS (1980) Ammonium influence on nitrogen assimilating enzymes and protein accumulation in suspension cultures of Paul’s scarlet rose. Physiol Plant 48:453–459

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Naik MS, Abrol YP, Ramarao CS, Nair TVR (1982) Nitrate assimilation—its regulation and relationship to reduced nitrogen in higher plants. Phytochemistry 21:495–504

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Neyra CA, Hageman RH (1976) Relationships between carbon dioxide, malate and nitrate accumulation and reduction in corn (Zea mays L.) seedlings. Plant Physiol 58:726–730

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nielsen NE, Schjørring JK (1983) Efficiency and kinetics of phosphorus uptake from soil by barley genotypes. Plant Soil 72:225–230

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pace GM, McClure PR (1986) Comparison of nitrate uptake parameters across maize inbred lines. J Plant Nutr 9:1095–1111

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pokhriyal TC, Sachdev MS, Grover HL, Arora RP, Abrol YP (1980) Nitrate assimilation in leaf blades of different age in wheat. Physiol Plant 48:477–481

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rahn C, Bending GD, Mary K (2009) Co-incorporation of biodegradable wastes with crop residues to reduce nitrate pollution of groundwater and decrease waste disposal to landfill. Soil Use Manage 25:113–123

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ramos C (1996) Effect of agricultural practices on the nitrogen losses in the environment. In: Rodriguez-Barrueco C (ed) Fertilizers and environment. Dordrecht, The Netherlands, pp 355–361

    Google Scholar 

  • Rengel Z, Graham RD (1995) Wheat genotypes differ in zinc efficiency when grown in the chelate-buffered nutrient solution. I. Growth. Plant Soil 176:307–316

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rhodes D, Rendon GA, Stewart GR (1975) The control of glutamine synthatase level in Lemna minor L. Planta 125:201–211

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Santamaria P (2006) Nitrate in vegetables: toxicity, content, intake and EC regulation. J Sci Food Agric 86:10–17

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Santos I, Salema R (1992) Effect of nitrogen nutrition on nitrate and nitrite reductase, glutamine synthetase, glutamate synthase and glutamate dehydrogenase in the CAM plant Kalanchöe lateritia Engl. Braz J Plant Physiol 84:145–152

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Scheible WR, Morcuende R, Czechowski T, Fritz C, Osuna D, Palacios-Rojas D, Schindelasch D, Thimm O, Udvardi MK, Stitt M (2004) Genome-wide reprogramming of primary and secondary metabolism, protein synthesis, cellular growth processes, and the regulatory infrastructure of Arabidopsis in response to nitrogen. Plant Physiol 136:2483–2499

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sivasankar S, Rothstein S, Oaks A (1997) Regulation of the accumulation and reduction of nitrate by nitrogen and carbon metabolism in maize seedlings. Plant Physiol 114:583–589

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Smil V (2001) Nitrogen in crop production. An account of global flows. Glob Biogeochem Cycles 13:647–662

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith IK (1980) Regulation of sulfate assimilation in tobacco cells: effect of nitrogen and sulphur nutrition on sulfate permease and O-acetylserine sulfhydrylase. Plant Physiol 66:877–883

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Steenbjerg JST (1963) Plant nutrition and yield curves. Soil Sci 95:69–90

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stulen I, Pérez-Soba M, De Kok LJ, Van der Eerden L (1998) Impact of gaseous nitrogen deposition on plant functioning. New Phytol 139:61–70

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Woodend JJ, Glass AMD, Person C (1986) Intra specific variation for nitrate uptake and nitrogen utilization in wheat (T. aestivum L.) grown under nitrogen stress. J Plant Nutr 9:1213–1225

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

Khalid Ul Rehman Hakeem (first author) is highly thankful to University Grants Commission for providing fellowship.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Molecular Ecology Laboratory, Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Hamdard University, New Delhi, 110062, India

    Khalid Rehman Hakeem, Altaf Ahmad & Muhammad Iqbal

  2. Department of Plant Production, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

    Muhammad Iqbal

  3. Environmental Sciences Institute, Near East University, Nicosia, Cyprus

    Salih Gucel

  4. Science Faculty, Botany Department, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey

    Munir Ozturk

Authors
  1. Khalid Rehman Hakeem
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Altaf Ahmad
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Muhammad Iqbal
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Salih Gucel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Munir Ozturk
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Khalid Rehman Hakeem.

Additional information

Responsible editor: Elena Maestri

An erratum to this article can be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11356-011-0567-4

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hakeem, K.R., Ahmad, A., Iqbal, M. et al. Nitrogen-efficient rice cultivars can reduce nitrate pollution. Environ Sci Pollut Res 18, 1184–1193 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-010-0434-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-010-0434-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation