Effects of variations in soil moisture tension upon the ascorbic acid and carotene content of turnip greens
1950
Hunter, A.S. | Kelly, W.C. | Somers, G.F.
The effects of variations in soil moisture stress upon the contents of ascorbic acid and carotene in turnip greens were studied. Shogoin turnips were grown in greenhouse experiments, in large cans of soil, under three ranges of soil moisture tension in factorial combination with two levels of soil fertility. The three ranges of moisture tension were obtained by irrigating the soil to low tension when the plants had exhausted the moisture at the 6-inch depth to tensions of (1) 0.25 atmosphere, (2) 0.85 atmosphere, and (3) about 15 atmospheres. Plants grown under the high soil moisture tension had a significantly lower yield than those grown under low moisture tensions. Also, the plants under high moisture tension had a higher percentage dry weight, higher ascorbic acid and carotene content on the fresh weight basis, but less ascorbic acid on the dry weight basis than did the plants grown under the low moisture tensions. One of the principal effects of increasing soil moisture stress was a decrease in the moisture content and consequent increase in the concentration of ascorbic acid and carotene (fresh weight basis) in the turnip leaves. However, over moisture ranges which produced tender, succulent greens, the effects of variation in soil moisture were of no practical consequence in these experiments.
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