1992 Volume 36 Issue 1 Pages 58-66
Studies were carried out on the effect of zinc at different concentrations in the nutrient solution on the growth and content of chlorophyll, zinc and nitrogen in corn plants. The four levels of zinc concentrations were 0, 0.005, 0.05 and 20 ppm in solution culture.
The values for the height of the 0.05 ppm plants were the largest as compared to those of the other plants throughout the growth period. Especially, the 0 and 20 ppm plants were shorter than the 0.05 ppm plants. The number of leaves of the 0.05 ppm plants was larger than that of the other plants.
The values for the fresh and dry weights of the 0.05 ppm plants were the largest as compared to those of the other plants except that they were slightly smaller than those of the 0.005 ppm plants at harvest time.
The chlorophyll content of the 0.005 ppm plants was the highest during the vegetative growth stage, but the highest in the 0.05 ppm plants after the tassel flowering stage.
The total nitrogen content of the 0 and 20 ppm plants was higher than that of the 0.05 ppm plants. The soluble nitrogen content of the leaf blade in the 0 and 20 ppm plants was higher than that of the 0.05 ppm plants, and it was the highest in the 0 ppm plants. The higher the zinc concentration in the nutrient solution, the higher the insoluble nitrogen content was.
The ratios of the content of soluble nitrogen to total nitrogen in the 0, 0.005 and 20 ppm plants were higher than those of the 0.05 ppm plants, especially, they were the righest in the 0 ppm plants.
These results suggest that zinc deficiency inhibits the growth of corn plants and disrupts the chlorophyll synthesis in the leaf blade as well the nitrogen metabolism.
