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Journal of Integrative Agriculture  2023, Vol. 22 Issue (4): 1045-1057    DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2023.01.005
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Optimization of slow-release fertilizer application improves lotus rhizome quality by affecting the physicochemical properties of starch

ZHAO Shu-ping1*, DENG Kang-ming1*, ZHU Ya-mei1, JIANG Tao1, WU Peng1, FENG Kai1, LI Liang-jun1, 2#

1 College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, P.R.China

2 Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety of Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, P.R.China

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摘要  为了实现高产优质、环境成本低的双重目标,缓释肥作为新型肥料取代传统氮肥被广泛应用于莲藕栽培。然而,优化的缓释肥施用量如何改善莲藕品质的机制尚不清楚。本研究旨在研究6个缓释肥水平(CK、S1、S2、S3、S4、S5)下对莲藕的光合特性和淀粉合成、积累和理化性质的影响。与CK(0 kg∙ha-1 SRF)相比,缓释肥处理下莲藕叶片的Pn和SPAD值保持较高水平。进一步研究表明,缓释肥提高了莲藕产量、直链淀粉、支链淀粉、总淀粉含量和淀粉粒数量。在6个缓释肥水平中,S3(1035 kg∙ha-1 SRF)与CK相比差异最大,并保持在最高水平。随着缓释肥水平的升高,峰值、热浆和最终粘度先降低,后增加,但消减值和糊化温度升高。为了在分子水平上解释这一变化,我们分析了淀粉积累相关酶的活性和淀粉积累相关酶基因的相对表达量,结果表明缓释肥处理下均增加,特别是S3处理下增加最多。总体来说,缓释肥,特别是S3(1035kg∙ha-1 SRF)作为莲藕种植的适宜肥料比,可以通过影响淀粉积累相关酶和基因来提高莲藕品质。这些结果将有助于低环境成本的优质莲藕的生产。

Abstract  

To achieve the dual goals of high yield and good quality with low environmental costs, slow-release fertilizer (SRF) has been widely used in lotus cultivation as new type of fertilizer instead of traditional nitrogen fertilizer.  However, the optimal amount of SRF and how it would promote lotus rhizome quality remain unclear.  This study was designed to investigate the photosynthetic characteristics and the synthesis, accumulation, and physicochemical properties of lotus rhizome starches under six SRF levels (CK, S1, S2, S3, S4, and S5).  Compared with CK (0 kg ha–1), the net photosynthetic rate (Pn) and SPAD values of leaves remained at higher levels under SRF treatment.  Further research showed that SRF increased the lotus rhizome yield, the contents of amylose, amylopectin, and total starch, and the number of starch granules.  Among the six SRF levels, S3 (1 035 kg ha–1) showed the greatest difference from CK and produced the highest levels.  With the increasing SRF levels, the peak, hot and final viscosities decreased at first and then increased, but the setback viscosity and pasting temperature increased.  In order to interpret these changes at the molecular level, the activities of key enzymes and relative expression levels of starch accumulation related genes were analyzed.  Each of these parameters also increased under SRF treatment, especially under the S3 treatment.  The results of this study show that SRF, especially S3 (1 035 kg ha–1), is a suitable fertilizer option for lotus planting which can improve lotus rhizome quality by affecting starch accumulations related enzymes and genes.  These results will be useful for SRF application to high-quality lotus rhizome production with low environmental costs.

Keywords:  Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.       slow-release fertilizer (SRF)        lotus rhizome yield        starch        gene expression  
Received: 28 May 2022   Accepted: 14 November 2022
Fund: The authors are grateful for the financial support they received from the National Key R&D Program of China (2020YFD1000300), the earmarked fund for China Agriculture Research System (CARS-24), and the High-Level Talent Support Plan (Lv-Yang-Jin-Feng), Yangzhou, China.

About author:  #Correspondence LI Liang-jun, E-mail: ljli@yzu.edu.cn * These authors contributed equally to this study.

Cite this article: 

ZHAO Shu-ping, DENG Kang-ming, ZHU Ya-mei, JIANG Tao, WU Peng, FENG Kai, LI Liang-jun. 2023.

Optimization of slow-release fertilizer application improves lotus rhizome quality by affecting the physicochemical properties of starch . Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 22(4): 1045-1057.

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