Effects of growth stage on the mineral concentrations in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) leaf, stem and the whole plant
2009
Markovic, J. | Strbanovic, R. | Cvetkovic, M. | Andjelkovic, B. | Zivkovic, B., Institute for Forage Crops, Krusevac (Serbia)
The object of this investigation was to examine the difference between stages of growth of alfalfa leaf, stem and whole plant in contents of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, copper and manganese. Stage of forage maturity affects the content of a number of minerals in forages. General observation that a decrease in contents of nitrogen coincidences with plant aging was confirmed in this study. The highest content of nitrogen was in leaf of alfalfa, cv K-28 at the first stage of development. The leaf tissue contained higher concentrations of macroelements, except potassium. In both investigated plant anatomical fraction and in whole plant, the highest content of macroelements were in the first stage of growth, except for phosphorus and calcium. Phosphorus and potassium decrease markedly with increasing maturity, while calcium is not greatly altered by stage of maturity. The highest content of iron, zinc and copper recorded in leaves in the first stage of plant development. The manganese concentration was the highest in leaves, in the third development stage.
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