Authors: Bernie J Zebarth Helen Tai Sainan Luo Pete Millard David De Koeyer XiuQing Li Xingyao Xiong
Publish Date: 2011/04/27
Volume: 345, Issue: 1-2, Pages: 387-400
Abstract
Use of an inseason measure of crop N sufficiency to guide fertilizer management is one approach to match the supply of N to the crop N demand This study examined use of gene expression in leaf tissue of fieldgrown potatoes for use in assessment of potato N sufficiency Potato cultivar ‘Shepody’ was grown with six fertilizer N rates 0–250 kg N ha–1 Leaf disks were collected weekly for quantification of the expression of N uptake/transport N assimilation and amino acid metabolism genes in leaf tissue by nCounter Many of the genes evaluated were responsive to crop N supply but the response varied widely among sampling dates The exception was an ammonium transporter gene AT1 which was highly expressed was relatively consistent across sampling dates was closely related to root zone soil nitrate concentration across N rates and sampling dates and was highly negatively correlated with total tuber yield The level of expression of AT1 in leaf tissue was as good as or better than conventional chemical or optical measures of potato N sufficiency in the current studyFunding was provided by the Embracing Innovation Program of the New Brunswick Department of Agriculture and Aquaculture and the Agriculture and AgriFood Canada Technical assistance was provided by Kraig Worrall Charlotte Davidson Muhammed Haroon Karen Terry and Ginette Decker
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