Nitrogen Source Regulation of Growth and Photosynthesis in Beta vulgaris L.

Sugar beets (Beta vulgaris L. cv F58-554H1) were grown hydroponically in a 16-h light, 8-h dark period at a photosynthetic photon flux density of 0.5 mmol m-2 s-1 for 4 weeks in half-Hoagland culture solution containing only nitrate-nitrogen. Half of the plants were then transferred to half-Hoagland solution with ammonium-nitrogen (7.35mM), while the other half continued on 7.5 mM nitrate. Growth analysis was carried out by sampling the plants at 3-d intervals over a period of 21 d. Compared to plants supplied with nitrate, ammonium initially slowed the growth of shoots more than roots. Ammonium reduced both the area expansion of individual leaves and the relative water content of these leaves, but increased the amount of dry matter/area. The increase in specific leaf weight in ammonium-grown leaves was associated with a doubling of chloroplast volume, as much as a 62% rise in chlorophyll content, and a 4.3-fold higher accumulation of soluble protein. Ammonium nutrition substantially decreased the rate of expansion of photosynthetic (leaf) surface but did not decrease the rate of photosynthesis per area; in fact, net photosynthetic CO2 exchange rates were slightly higher than in nitrate plants, due to the build-up in stromal enzymes of the Calvin cycle, several of which increased in total extractable activity on a leaf area basis, e.g. ribulose-1,5- biphosphate carboxylase oxygenase, sedoheptulose-1,7-biphosphatase. Nitrogen source had no effect on stomatal conductance. Rates of photosynthesis per chlorophyll were decreased slightly in ammonium-grown leaves, possibly due to an increased CO2-diffusion resistance associated with the enlarged chloroplasts.