Due to a zinc-deficient diet, about 800,000 children die each year worldwide. This aspect is amended by exploiting foliar fertilization, a useful alternative to improve crop yield and nutritional quality of food crops. The aim of this study was then to investigate the leaf uptake and transport of zinc by soybean (Glycine max (L) Merrill). Plant leaves were treated with Zn phosphite and Zn ethylenediamine tetra-acetic acid (EDTA) commercial formulations. X-ray spectroscopy (XRF and XANES) was exploited to trace nutrient movement in the petiolule and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to evaluate the influence of leaf surface treatments. No radiation damage, in terms of elemental redistribution, was observed during the XRF and XANES measurements. As an alternative to radioisotopes, XRF allowed to detect the movement of Zn from both sources in the plant petiolule. Both fertilizers disintegrated leaf epicuticular wax crystals, yet accumulation of sediments in the vicinity of stomata was noted only for Zn phosphite. Absorption and redistribution of Zn were higher for plants that received Zn phosphite. Zinc supplied as Zn phosphite was transported in a form different from that of the pristine Zn phosphite, whereas Zn supplied as Zn EDTA was transported in its chelated form.

中文翻译：

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亚磷酸锌和 EDTA 锌在大豆 (Glycine max (L.) Merrill) 中的叶面施用：运输、化学形态和叶表面变化的体内研究

由于缺乏锌的饮食，全世界每年约有 800,000 名儿童死亡。这方面通过利用叶面施肥进行修正，叶面施肥是提高粮食作物产量和营养质量的有用替代方法。本研究的目的是研究大豆 (Glycine max (L) Merrill) 对锌的叶片吸收和转运。用亚磷酸锌和乙二胺四乙酸 (EDTA) 商业制剂处理植物叶子。X射线光谱（XRF和XANES）被用来追踪叶柄中的养分运动，并利用扫描电子显微镜（SEM）来评估叶片表面处理的影响。在 XRF 和 XANES 测量期间，没有观察到元素重新分布方面的辐射损伤。作为放射性同位素的替代品，XRF 允许检测来自植物叶柄中两种来源的 Zn 的运动。两种肥料都能分解叶表皮蜡晶体，但仅在亚磷酸锌中注意到气孔附近沉积物的积累。接受亚磷酸锌的植物对锌的吸收和再分布更高。以亚磷酸锌形式供应的锌以不同于原始亚磷酸锌的形式运输，而以 EDTA 锌形式供应的锌以其螯合形式运输。