Effect of soil contamination with fluorine on the yield and content of nitrogen forms in the biomass of crops

Abstract

The research was based on a pot experiment, in which the response of eight species of crops to soil contamination with fluorine was investigated. In parallel, some inactivating substances were tested in terms of their potential use for the neutralization of the harmful influence of fluorine on plants. The response of crops to soil contamination with fluorine was assessed according to the volume of biomass produced by aerial organs and roots as well as their content of N-total, N-protein, and N-NO3 −. The following crops were tested: maize, yellow lupine, winter oilseed rape, spring triticale, narrow-leaf lupine, black radish, phacelia, and lucerne. In most cases, soil pollution with fluorine stimulated the volume of biomass produced by the plants. The exceptions included grain and straw of spring triticale, maize roots, and aerial parts of lucerne, where the volume of harvested biomass was smaller in treatments with fluorine-polluted soil. Among the eight plant species, lucerne was most sensitive to the pollution despite smaller doses of fluorine in treatments with this plant. The other species were more tolerant to elevated concentrations of fluorine in soil. In most of the tested plants, the analyzed organs contained more total nitrogen, especially aerial organs and roots of black radish, grain and straw of spring triticale, and aerial biomass of lucerne. A decrease in the total nitrogen content due to soil contamination with fluorine was detected only in the aerial mass of yellow lupine. With respect to protein nitrogen, its increase in response to fluorine as a soil pollutant was found in grain of spring triticale and roots of black radish, whereas the aerial biomass of winter oilseed rape contained less of this nutrient. Among the analyzed neutralizing substances, lime most effectively alleviated the negative effect of soil pollution with fluorine. The second most effective substance was loam, while charcoal was the least effective in this respect. Our results showed the effect of soil contamination with fluorine on the yield and chemical composition of fluorine depended on the species and organ of a tested plant, on the rate of the xenobotic element and on the substance added to soil in order to neutralize fluorine.

Fluorine: a biohazardous agent for plants and phytoremediation strategies for its removal from the environment

“…The leaves accumulated high content of asparagine, aspartic acid, serine, glutamic acid, and pipecolic acid (Cai et al 2016). An interesting correlation between nitrogen metabolism and F stress has been observed among F tolerant and hypersensitive plants (Szostek and Ciecko 2017). It was seen that plants with variable sensitivities to F stress accumulated variable content of total N in the shoot biomass in a species-specific manner (Table 1 Suppl.).…”

“…It was seen that plants with variable sensitivities to F stress accumulated variable content of total N in the shoot biomass in a species-specific manner (Table 1 Suppl.). Zea mays, being F tolerant, possibly has developed an evolutionary strategy of preventing Finduced protein degradation and hence the stressed plant does not require up regulation of protein synthesis and low N content could be detected (Szostek and Ciecko 2017). On the contrary, in spite of being F tolerant, Lupinus luteus plants accumulated high amount of total N in their shoots (Szostek and Ciecko 2017).…”

“…Zea mays, being F tolerant, possibly has developed an evolutionary strategy of preventing Finduced protein degradation and hence the stressed plant does not require up regulation of protein synthesis and low N content could be detected (Szostek and Ciecko 2017). On the contrary, in spite of being F tolerant, Lupinus luteus plants accumulated high amount of total N in their shoots (Szostek and Ciecko 2017). Thus, these plants exhibit F tolerance by increasing protein synthesis and tilting the equilibrium away from protein degradation.…”

“…F stress deteriorates nitrogen assimilation by inhibiting nitrate reductase, the rate limiting enzyme of nitrogen acquisition (Rao et al 2013). The F-induced decline in the total protein content can be explained by channelizing the degraded products towards metabolic processes for obtaining energy and tackling stress (Szostek and Ciecko 2017). Mulberry plants grown under F stress showed a 59 % decrease in leaf protein content (Rao et al 2013).…”

The influence of environmental pollution with fluorine compounds on the level of fluoride in soil, feed and eggs of laying hens in Central Pomerania, Poland

“…However, it can be excessively consumed by plants residing on contaminated soils (Senkondo et al 2018). Szostek and Ciećko (2017b) showed the effect of soil contamination with fluorine on the yield and chemical composition of fluorine depended on the species and organ of a tested plant. The results of studies suggest a decrease in fluorine levels in the soil and plants in association with a growing distance from the emitter of the element (Franzaring et al 2006).…”