Effect of Sulfur Fertilization on Productivity and Grain Zinc Yield of Rice Grown under Low and Adequate Soil Zinc Applications

This study aimed to investigate the responses in rice(Oryza sativa cv.Osmancik 97)production and grain zinc(Zn)accumulation to combined Zn and sulfur(S)fertilization.The experiment was designed as a factorial experiment with two Zn and three S concentrations applied to the soil in a completely randomized design with four replications.The plants were grown under greenhouse conditions at low(0.25 mg/kg)and adequate(5 mg/kg)Zn rates combined with S(CaSO_(4)·2H_(2)O)application(low,2.5 mg/kg;moderate,10 mg/kg,and adequate,50 mg/kg).The lowest rate of S at adequate soil Zn treatment increased grain yield by 68%compared with the same S rate at low Zn supply.Plants with the adequate S rate at low Zn and adequate Zn supply produced the highest grain yield,with increases of 247%and 143%compared with low S rate at low Zn and adequate Zn supply,respectively.The concentration of grain Zn and S responded differently to the applied S rates depending on the soil Zn condition.The highest grain Zn concentration,reaching 41.5 mg/kg,was observed when adequate Zn was supplied at the low S rate.Conversely,the adequate S rate at the low soil Zn conditions yielded the highest grain S concentration.The total grain Zn uptake per plant showed particular increases in grain Zn yield when adequate S rates were applied,showing increases of 208%and 111%compared with low S rate under low and adequate soil Zn conditions,respectively.The results indicated that the synergistic application of soil Zn and S improves grain production and grain Zn yield.These results highlight the importance of total grain Zn yield in addition to grain Zn concentration,especially under the growth conditions where grain yield shows particular increases as grain Zn is diluted due to increased grain yield by increasing S fertilization.

Synergistic and antagonistic interactions between potassium and magnesium in higher plants

Magnesium(Mg)affects various critical physiological and biochemical processes in higher plants,and its deficiency impedes plant growth and development.Although potassium(K)-induced Mg deficiency in agricultural production is widespread,the specific relationship of K with Mg and especially its competitive nature is poorly understood.This review summarizes current knowledge on the interactions between K and Mg with respect to their root uptake,root-to-shoot translocation and distribution in plants.Their synergistic effects on certain physiological functions are also described.The antagonistic effect of K on Mg is stronger than that of Mg on K in root absorption and transport within plants,indicating that the balanced use of K and Mg fertilizers is necessary for sustaining high plant-available Mg and alleviating K-induced Mg deficiency,especially in plant species with high K demand or in highavailable-K soil.The relationship between Mg and K in plant tissues may be antagonistic or synergistic depending on plant species,cell type,leaf age,source-and sink organs.There are synergistic effects of K and Mg on photosynthesis,carbohydrate transport and allocation,nitrogen metabolism,and turgor regulation.Definition of optimal K/Mg ratios for soils and plant tissues is desirable for maintaining proper nutritional status in plants,leading to a physiological state supporting crop production.Future research should concentrate on identifying the physiological and molecular mechanisms underlying the interactions between K and Mg in a given physiological function.

Quantitative trait loci associated with soybean seed weight and composition under different phosphorus levels

Seed size and composition are important traits in food crops and can be affected by nutrient availability in the soil. Phosphorus （P） is a non-renewable, essential macronutrient, and P deficiency limits soybean （G1ycine max） yield and quality. To investigate the associations of seed traits in low- and high-P environ- ments, soybean recombinant inbred lines （RILs） from a cross of cultivars Fiskeby III and Mandarin （Ottawa） were grown under contrasting P availability environments. Traits including individual seed weight, seed number, and intact mature pod weight were significantly affected by soil P levels and showed transgressive segregation among the RILs. Surprisingly, P treatments did not affect seed composition or weight, suggesting that soybeanmaintains sufficient P in seeds even in Iow-P soil. Quantitative trait loci （QTLs） were detected for seed weight, intact pods, seed volume, and seed protein, with five significant QTLs identified in Iow-P environments and one significant QTL found in the optimaI-P environment. Broad-sense heritability estimates were 0.78 （individual seed weight）, o.go （seed protein）, 0.34 （seed oil）, and 0.98 （seed number）. The QTLs identified under low P point to genetic regions that may be useful to improve soybean performance under limiting P conditions.