PJB-2024-80
EXCESS ZINC AND REDUCTION OF ONION PLANTS (ALLIUM CEPA L) GROWTH
Fánor Casierra-Posada
Abstract
While zinc is an essential element for metabolism, anthropic activities and poor agricultural practices as well as frequent use of pesticides and fertilizers rich in this element can cause toxic levels of Zn to be exposed to plants. A greenhouse study was carried out in Tunja, Colombia in which bulb onion seedlings (Allium cepa) were exposed to contents of 0 (control), 20, 40, and 80 mg L-1 of Zn in nutrient solution. The excess Zn in the solution had a rather drastic effect on the accumulation of dry weight and reduced the absolute growth rate, the specific leaf area, the water uptake, the water use efficiency, the leaf area, the length of roots, and on the contrary, increased the content of total soluble solids in the juice of the bulb. Thus, most growth-related variables were negatively affected from 20 mg L-1 and up of Zn in solution. In addition, the toxic effect of Zn is more drastic on plants growing in nutrient solution compared to those growing in soil. The experiment lasted until 54 days after transplantation, which was the limit for plant survival, especially at higher concentrations of Zn, so it can be inferred that these plants have low tolerance to high Zn contents in the substrate.
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