Boron uptake and effects on growth and carbohydrate partitioning of pistachio seedlings
1991
Picchioni, G.A. | Miyamoto, S. | Storey, J.B.
Seedlings of three pistachio rootstocks (Pistacia atlantica Desf., P. terebinthus L., and P. integerrima Stewart X atlantica) and of the pistachio scion cultivar Kerman (P. vera. L.) were grown in calcareous sandy loam irrigated with B solutions (0 to 15 mg.liter(-1)) in a greenhouse. After 10.5 months of B treatment, rootstock seedling growth (root + stem weight and leaf dry weight, area, and number per plant) had decreased linearly with B application, which provided up to 48.9 mg B/liter in the soil saturation extract. Growth of P. terebinthus was greater than P. atlantica throughout the concentration range, but species sensitivity to B did not differ. Nine months of B at concentrations up to 10.7 mg.liter(-1) in the saturation extract did not alter the growth of P. vera seedlings. Leaf B concentrations of all species increased linearly with saturation extract B concentration after each of two growing periods and were higher in leaves of P. terebinthus than P. atlantica. From 62% to 75% of B was present in leaf tissue of the rootstock seedlings, with lower quantities in roots and stems. Boron toxicity appeared initially as interveinal chlorosis and apical necrosis of 1-month-old, fully expanded leaflets of the rootstock species. By 4 months, symptoms in some treatments advanced to severe necrosis of leaflets. Boron addition increased the concentrations of total leaf sugars (glucose, fructose, and sucrose) and root starch, decreased root glucose concentrations, and had no effect on other root carbohydrates of P. vera seedlings. Leaf carbohydrate supply limitations and altered root carbohydrate status may be consequences of high B in P. vera seedling leaves.
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