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Iron excess and nitrogen deprivation influence photosynthetic metabolism in grasses used for mineland rehabilitation

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Abstract

When planning rehabilitation in iron-ore-mining impacted areas, including species that not only tolerate excess metals but also show nutrient use efficiency is paramount. We evaluated how the interaction of nitrogen (N) deficit and high iron (Fe) supply may influence the photosynthetic and nutritional metabolisms of two iron-tolerant C4 species. Paspalum densum and Setaria parviflora were exposed to standard Hoagland’s nutrient solution (control); high Fe; N deficit; and N deficit and high Fe combined, all in nutrient solution. Under adequate N supply, Fe excess decreased N concentration in leaves of P. densum. Therefore, in P. densum, N deficit and high Fe combined increased Fe concentration in the leaves, damaging the chlorophylls, causing a decline in biomass and photochemical efficiency and activation of photoprotective mechanisms. On the other hand, despite biomass and photoprotection processes were not affected in S. parviflora, adequate N supply and high Fe increased Fe concentration in the iron plaque. Furthermore, chlorophyll degradation was higher in mature leaves of S. parviflora, which showed higher mobility of N in the leaves with a decline in photochemical efficiency. In both species, the high Fe treatment triggered diffusive limitations in photosynthesis and the adequate supply of N was crucial for optimal performance in their photochemical and carbon uptake mechanisms. Considering that in mined areas nutrient deficit and Fe excess are common, it is suggested that both grasses, but especially S. parviflora, can be used in rehabilitation plans for severely impoverished mined areas.

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The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Viçosa (UFV), Florestal, Minas Gerais, Brazil

    Gustavo Resende Rios, Camilla Oliveira Rios, Talita Oliveira de Araújo & Eduardo Gusmão Pereira

  2. Universidade Federal do Oeste do Pará (UFOPA), Santarém, Pará, Brazil

    Advanio Inácio Siqueira-Silva

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  1. Gustavo Resende Rios
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  2. Camilla Oliveira Rios
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  3. Talita Oliveira de Araújo
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  4. Advanio Inácio Siqueira-Silva
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  5. Eduardo Gusmão Pereira
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EGP: Funding acquisition and resources, project administration, supervision, conceptualization, formal analysis, writing—reviewing, and editing. GRR: conceptualization, investigation, writing—original draft. COR: investigation, writing—reviewing and editing. TOA: formal analysis, writing—reviewing, and editing. AIS-S: conceptualization, formal analysis, writing—reviewing, and editing. All authors approved the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Eduardo Gusmão Pereira.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. All authors approved the manuscript. This work was supported by the Foundation for Research Development of Minas Gerais State (FAPEMIG) and Vale S.A. E. G. Pereira is supported by the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) with a research productivity fellowship.

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Rios, G.R., Rios, C.O., de Araújo, T.O. et al. Iron excess and nitrogen deprivation influence photosynthetic metabolism in grasses used for mineland rehabilitation. Theor. Exp. Plant Physiol. 35, 427–442 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40626-023-00298-w

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