مقايسه كاهو و اسفناج تغذيه شده با نيترات يا آمونيوم در سيستم هيدروپونيك

The Comparison of Ammonium or Nitrate-Grown Lettuce and Spinach in a Hydroponic System

Most plant species are sensitive to high ammonium concentrations. In this experiment the sensitivity of lettuce and spinach to ammonium was investigated. In a factorial experiment with framework of a completely randomized design with two factors, nitrogen form (ammonium and nitrate) and plant species (lettuce and spinach), and three replications seeds were germinated in a mixture of perlite, sand and clay in soil-maid pots. After two weeks, the seedlings at two true-leaf stage were then transferred to buckets containing 4 L of aerated nutrient solution. The four plants were growing together. The treatments were ammonium and nitrate at 5 mM. In comparison to nitrate, ammonium reduced the growth of both species. Concentration of K, Mg, and Na decreased with ammonium in both species. The reduction of K and Mg concentrations in ammonium-fed plants may have a role in ammonium toxicity. Ammonium nutrition of both species caused an increase in P at roots and shoots. Higher P content at ammonium-fed lettuce and spinach plants may be due to creation of cations and anions balance in plants. Chlorophyll a and b were higher in ammonium-fed than nitrate-fed plants