Abstract

PENA-OLMOS, Jaime E.; CASIERRA-POSADA, Fánor  and  OLMOS-CUBIDES, Misael A.. The effect of high iron doses (Fe²⁺) on the growth of broccoli plants (Brassica oleracea var. Italica). Agron. colomb. [online]. 2014, vol.32, n.1, pp.22-28. ISSN 0120-9965.  https://doi.org/10.15446/agron.colomb.v32n1.42060.

Tests were carried out under greenhouse conditions in Tunja (Colombia) in order to evaluate the effect of Fe²⁺ toxicity on the growth of broccoli plants. 'Legacy' hybrid Brassica oleracea var. Italica plantlets were grown in glass containers with a nutritive solution. Iron sulfate was added to the substrate in order to produce excess iron at concentrations of 100 and 200 mg L^-1; a control without iron sulfate applications was used. The following evaluations were made: leaf area, total dry weight of the plants, distribution of dry mass (DM) in the different organs, absolute growth rate, relative growth rate, net assimilation rate and the root:shoot ratio. The total DM decreased drastically in the plants subjected to excess Fe²⁺, the growth indices progressively decreased with increases in the Fe²⁺ concentrations in the substrate and the distribution of DM in the organs varied as a function of the needs of the plants, with 15.85 and 11.10% less DM in the roots of the plants subjected to Fe²⁺ than in the control plants, at 100 and 250 mg L^-1, respectively.

Keywords : plant nutrition; dry mass partitioning; iron sulfate; toxicity to plants.

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