Abstract
Cerium (Ce) has been reported to be both beneficial and harmful to plants. This contradiction deserves explanation in the light of increased anthropogenic release of Ce in the environment. Ce tolerance and accumulation were evaluated in hydroponically cultivated Brassica napus L. (rapeseed). Ce and other nutrient concentrations were measured with increasing Ce concentration in the nutrient solution. Moreover, Ce and calcium (Ca) accumulation were evaluated at different Ca and Ce concentrations in nutrient solution and a Michaelis-Menten type inhibition model considering Ce and Ca competition was tested. Plants were also sprayed with Ce solution in Ca-deficient media. Ce decreased the growth and root function, which affected shoot nutritional status. Calcium was the most severely inhibited nutrient in both roots and shoots. High Ca concentrations in the nutrient solution inhibited Ce accumulation in a non-competitive way. Moreover, phosphorus (P) precipitated Ce inside root cells. Ce spraying did not alleviate Ca deficiency symptoms and the results were critically compared to the available literature.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 735-744 |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Journal | Science of the Total Environment |
| Volume | 593-594 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Sept 2017 |
Funding
This work was supported by Department of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, University of Udine (Italy) (grant number 64 dd. 08-09.2014).
| Funders | Funder number |
|---|---|
| Department of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, University of Udine | 08-09.2014 |
Keywords
- Brassica napus (rapeseed)
- Calcium
- Cerium
- Competition
- Excluder strategy
- Phosphorus
