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Contrasting Strategies of Nitrogen Absorption and Utilization in Alfalfa Plants Under Different Water Stress

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Abstract

Drought and flooding stress are among the challenges to improving alfalfa yields. Nitrogen (N) is a major element required for plant growth and has a key role in stress tolerance. However, the role of N in mediating alfalfa growth under drought and flooding stress remains unknown. Pot experiments with three different soil water contents (30, 70, and 110% of the field water capacity, i.e., W-30%, W-70%, and W-110%) and three nitrogen application rates (0, 30, and 60 mg kg−1 soil, i.e., N-0, N-30, and N-60) were conducted to determine the strategies of alfalfa response to drought and flooding stress in relation to N absorption and utilization. Regardless of the N rate, alfalfa biomass was restricted in both W-30% and W-110% treatments compared with W-70% treatment. Root biomass proportion and root length were elevated in W-30%, but not in W-110% plants. The sugar content response to water stress was concordant with the biomass response. N accumulation in W-30% plants was significantly higher than in W-110% plants under N-30 and N-60. The photosynthetic rate, photosynthetic N use efficiency, and leaf photosynthetic N proportion were elevated in W-110% treatments compared with W-30% treatments. Increased root sugar allocation and N absorption under drought stress sustained alfalfa growth, while an enhanced leaf photosynthetic N in flooded plants offset reduced N accumulation and contributed to an elevated net photosynthesis rate.

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Funding

This research was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant numbers 31802130); the National Program on Key Basic Research Project (grant numbers 2017YFD0502106-1); and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (grant numbers KJQN201948).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Agro-grassland Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Weigang 1, Nanjing, 210095, China

    Limin Gao, Jing Su, Qian Tian & Yixin Shen

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  1. Limin Gao
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  2. Jing Su
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  3. Qian Tian
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  4. Yixin Shen
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Correspondence to Yixin Shen.

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Gao, L., Su, J., Tian, Q. et al. Contrasting Strategies of Nitrogen Absorption and Utilization in Alfalfa Plants Under Different Water Stress. J Soil Sci Plant Nutr 20, 1515–1523 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42729-020-00230-0

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