Title: Lettuce cationic nutrition and yield, and soil chemical characteristics as affected by vanadium application to leaves or soils

Authors: C.E. Alvarez, M. Amin, C.M. Reyes, M. Fernandez

Addresses: Instituto de Productos Naturales y Agrobiologia, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, Apartado de Correos 195, 38206 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain. Instituto de Productos Naturales y Agrobiologia, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, Apartado de Correos 195, 38206 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain. Instituto de Productos Naturales y Agrobiologia, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, Apartado de Correos 195, 38206 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain. Instituto de Productos Naturales y Agrobiologia, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, Apartado de Correos 195, 38206 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain

Abstract: Lettuce plants (Lactuca sativa, L., cv. ||trocadero||) were grown in pots filled with an Alfisol Udalf or an Andisol Udand soil, under greenhouse conditions. Treatments consisted of adding vanadium to soils (0, 100, 250, 500 and 10001mg1kg1 or as foliar sprays (0, 10, 25, 50, and 1001mg111. Soil chemical characteristics, the cationic nutrition of lettuce and their yields were assessed. No relation was found among vanadium treatments and soil pH, organic matter, or available Ca, Mg, and K. Vanadium added to soils increased available vanadium in the soil, but foliar sprays did not. Treatments did not influence foliar K, Ca, Mg, Cu, Mn and Zn concentrations, and only foliar iron levels showed a correlation with available vanadium in the soils treated with this heavy metal. Higher concentrations of vanadium added to soil or in foliar sprays significantly increased the vanadium content of the lettuces, but they did not affect the yields of either fresh or dry matter.

Keywords: lettuce; plant nutrition; soil fertility; vanadium.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEP.2002.000696

International Journal of Environment and Pollution, 2002 Vol.18 No.1, pp.76-84

Published online: 14 Jul 2003 *

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