Xiaohong Ou1,2,3, Xiuming Cui1, Duanwei Zhu3, Lanping Guo4, Dahui Liu5, Ye Yang1. 1. Yunnan Provincial Key Laboratory of Panax notoginseng, Key Laboratory of Panax notoginseng Resources Sustainable Development and Utilization of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Kunming Key Laboratory of Sustainable Development and Utilization of Famous-Region Drug, Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, China. 2. Resource Institute for Chinese Medicine and Ethnic Materia Medica, Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guiyang, China. 3. College of Environment and Resources, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China. 4. Chinese Medica Resources Center, China Academy of Chinese Medicinal Sciences, Beijing, China. 5. College of Pharmacy, Hubei University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, China.
Abstract
Excessive nitrogen (N) application and potassium (K) supplement deficiency is a common problem in Panax notoginseng cultivation. However, synergistic effects of lowering N and increasing K application on yield and quality of P. notoginseng have not been reported. Field experiments in two locations with different N and K combined application were conducted to study the effects on yield and quality. Then, the saponin accumulation mechanisms were explored by pot and hydroponic culture with 2- or 3-year-old seedlings. The investigation showed that 70% of P. notoginseng cultivation fields reached abundant levels of total nitrogen (TN) but had deficient levels of total potassium (TK), which may be detrimental to balance the N/K uptake of P. notoginseng. Moreover, the average biomass was 18.9 g, and P. notoginseng saponin (PNS) content was 6.95%; both were influenced by the N/K values of P. notoginseng. The field experiments indicated that compared to the conventional N and K application (N:K = 2:1), lowering N and increasing K application (N:K = 1:2) decreased root rot rate by 36.4-46.1% and increased survival rate, root biomass, and yield, as well as PNS content by 17.9-18.3, 5.7-32.9, 27.8-57.1, and 5-10%, respectively. The mechanism of lowering N and increasing K application on the PNS content improving was due to the decreasing of N/K value, which promoted photosynthesis, sugar accumulation, and the expression of saponin biosynthesis genes. Therefore, lowering N and increasing K application to the ratio of 1:2 would have great potential to improve the synergistic effect on yield and quality of P. notoginseng cultivation.
Excessive n class="Chemical">an class="Chemical">nitrogenpan>pan>> (N) application ann>d an class="Chemical">potassium (K) supplement an class="Disease">deficiency is a common problem in pan> class="Species">Panax notoginseng cultivation. However, synergistic effects of lowering N and increasing K application on yield and quality of P. notoginseng have not been reported. Field experiments in two locations with different N and K combined application were conducted to study the effects on yield and quality. Then, the saponin accumulation mechanisms were explored by pot and hydroponic culture with 2- or 3-year-old seedlings. The investigation showed that 70% of P. notoginseng cultivation fields reached abundant levels of total nitrogen (TN) but had deficient levels of total potassium (TK), which may be detrimental to balance the N/K uptake of P. notoginseng. Moreover, the average biomass was 18.9 g, and P. notoginsengsaponin (PNS) content was 6.95%; both were influenced by the N/K values of P. notoginseng. The field experiments indicated that compared to the conventional N and K application (N:K = 2:1), lowering N and increasing K application (N:K = 1:2) decreased root rot rate by 36.4-46.1% and increased survival rate, root biomass, and yield, as well as PNS content by 17.9-18.3, 5.7-32.9, 27.8-57.1, and 5-10%, respectively. The mechanism of lowering N and increasing K application on the PNS content improving was due to the decreasing of N/K value, which promoted photosynthesis, sugar accumulation, and the expression of saponin biosynthesis genes. Therefore, lowering N and increasing K application to the ratio of 1:2 would have great potential to improve the synergistic effect on yield and quality of P. notoginseng cultivation.