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Why Nitrogen Use Efficiency Decreases Under High Nitrogen Supply in Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Seedlings

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Abstract

Hydroponic experiments were conducted in a greenhouse to examine the effects of different nitrogen (N) supply (low, 20 mg L−1; intermediate, 40 mg L−1; and high, 100 mg L−1) on the growth, nitrogen use efficiency, and photosynthetic characteristics of rice seedlings (Oryza sativa L., cv. “Shanyou 63” hybrid indica. China). Leaf gas exchange was conducted to identify the photosynthetic-limiting factors in plants with high N supply. The results showed that (1) shoot biomass, leaf area, and tiller numbers per plant under low N were lower than under intermediate and high N supplies. No significant differences were observed between plants supplied with intermediate and high N. (2) About a 35% increase in leaf N content in plants fed by high N resulted in about a 15% increase in carboxylation efficiency (CE) and photosynthetic rate. (3) The noncorresponding increases in photosynthetic rate in rice seedlings fed by high N relative to low N resulted from Rubisco activity and/or CE. (4) The decreased Rubisco activity was induced by a relatively insufficient CO2 supply under high N supply. These results indicated that insufficient CO2 supply under high N supply accounted for the decreased Rubisco activity and the noncorresponding increases in photosynthetic rate to leaf N content, and as a result, decreased (photosynthetic) nitrogen use efficiency.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (30671233, 30871587), the Program for New Century Excellent Talent in Universities (NCET-07-0438), and the Program for Excellent Ph.D. Candidates in Jiangsu Province (CX09B_240Z). We thank the late Prof. Dr. Burkhard Sattelmacher, and Dr. Holger Brueck and Prof. Dr. Ulf-Peter Hansen, Institute of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science, Kiel University, Germany, for their suggestions in this study.

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  1. College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Tongwei Road 6, Nanjing, 210095, Jiangsu Province, China

    Yong Li, Xiuxia Yang, Binbin Ren, Qirong Shen & Shiwei Guo

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  1. Yong Li
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  2. Xiuxia Yang
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  3. Binbin Ren
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  4. Qirong Shen
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  5. Shiwei Guo
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Correspondence to Shiwei Guo.

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Li, Y., Yang, X., Ren, B. et al. Why Nitrogen Use Efficiency Decreases Under High Nitrogen Supply in Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Seedlings. J Plant Growth Regul 31, 47–52 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00344-011-9218-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00344-011-9218-8

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