Skip to main content
ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Corvallis, Oregon » Horticultural Crops Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #164013
Title: NITROGEN STORAGE AND ITS INTERACTION WITH CARBOHYDRATES OF YOUNG ALMOND TREES IN RESPONSE TO NITROGEN SUPPLY

Author
item GUIHONG, BI - OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
item Scagel, Carolyn
item CHENG, LAILANG - CORNELL UNIVERSITY
item FUCHIGANI, LESLIE - OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/17/2004
Publication Date: 7/1/2004
Citation: Guihong, B., Scagel, C.F., Cheng, L., Fuchigani, L. 2004. Nitrogen storage and its interaction with carbohydrates of young almond trees in response to nitrogen supply. ASHS Annual Meeting Abstract. 2004. 39(4) p. 796.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: June-budded 'Nonpareil/Nemaguard' almond (Prunus dulcis (Mill) D. A. Webb) trees were fertigated with one of five nitrogen (N) concentrations (0, 5, 10, 15, or 20 mM) in a modified Hoagland's solution from July to September. In October, the trees were sprayed twice with either water or 3% urea, harvested after natural leaf fall, and stored at 2 degrees C. Trees were destructively sampled during winter storage to determine concentrations of amino acids, protein, and non-structural carbohydrates (TNC). Increasing N supply, either via N fertigation during the growing season or with foliar urea applications in the fall, increased the concentrations of both free and total amino acids, whereas increased N supply decreased their C/N ratios. Moreover, as the N supply increased, the proportion of nitrogen stored as free amino acids also increased. However, protein was still the main form of N used for storage. The predominant amino acid in both the free and the total amino-acid pools was arginine. Arginine N accounted for an increasing proportion of the total N in both the free and the total amino acids as the nitrogen supply was increased. However, the proportion of arginine N was higher in the free amino acids than in the total amino acids. A negative relationship was found between total amino acid and non-structural carbohydrate concentrations, suggesting that TNC is increasingly used for N assimilation as the supply of nitrogen increases. Urea applications decreased the concentrations of glucose, fructose, and sucrose, but had little influence on concentrations of sorbitol and starch. We conclude that protein is the primary form of storage N, and that arginine is the predominant amino acid. Furthermore, the synthesis of amino acids and proteins comes at the expense of non-structural carbohydrates.