Articles
Regulation of magnesium nutrition on fruit development of wax gourd
Article number
1411_16
Pages
149 – 168
Language
English
Abstract
Magnesium (Mg) is a particular mineral nutrient greatly affecting the size and activity of sink organs.
Recently, Mg deficiency has become a common issue in wax gourd fields, with growers having limited awareness of this problem.
The wax gourd, known for weighing up to 20-50 kg each per fruit, serves as an excellent material for comprehending the impact of varied Mg nutrition on sink strength and yield formation.
This study firstly examined the effects of Mg on yield and seed vigor of wax gourd under field conditions, employing five Mg application gradients.
The results showed that inadequate Mg supply led to a substantial reduction in wax gourd yield, primarily attributed to higher starch and sucrose accumulation in source leaves and lower sucrose content in the phloem, indicating a significant restriction of Mg deficiency in carbohydrate transport to developing fruit.
Additionally, seeds obtained from Mg deficiency plants exhibited lower starch content and a significant decline in germination capacity and seedling establishment in comparison to seeds from Mg-adequate plants.
However, the mechanism underlying the transportation and distribution of photoassimilates to Mg in wax gourd, as a raffinose family oligosaccharides (RFOs) transport crop, remains unknown.
For the first time, our study confirmed that stachyose and raffinose, comprising 54.9-78.0% of total carbohydrates in phloem sap, were the primary sugars responsible for long-distance transport in wax gourds, with their levels being enhanced by Mg.
Compared with Mg deficiency, Mg application stimulated sugar accumulation in leaves during seedling stages, whereas after fruit set, it significantly reduced the soluble sugar concentration by 33.5-67.9%, indicating that Mg controls the carbohydrate status in source (leaves), flow (phloem sap), and sink (mesocarp tissues) in wax gourds, particularly during fruit development phases.
Importantly, lower stachyose levels in phloem at fruit setting may serve as an early indicator of impaired sink process in wax gourds grown in Mg-deficient soil.
Ensuring sufficient Mg supply to plants with large sink sizes, such as wax gourd, during the reproductive stage is critical for achieving higher yield and improving seed vigor in subsequent generations, with several successful Mg fertilization strategies having been demonstrated and promoted in practice.
Recently, Mg deficiency has become a common issue in wax gourd fields, with growers having limited awareness of this problem.
The wax gourd, known for weighing up to 20-50 kg each per fruit, serves as an excellent material for comprehending the impact of varied Mg nutrition on sink strength and yield formation.
This study firstly examined the effects of Mg on yield and seed vigor of wax gourd under field conditions, employing five Mg application gradients.
The results showed that inadequate Mg supply led to a substantial reduction in wax gourd yield, primarily attributed to higher starch and sucrose accumulation in source leaves and lower sucrose content in the phloem, indicating a significant restriction of Mg deficiency in carbohydrate transport to developing fruit.
Additionally, seeds obtained from Mg deficiency plants exhibited lower starch content and a significant decline in germination capacity and seedling establishment in comparison to seeds from Mg-adequate plants.
However, the mechanism underlying the transportation and distribution of photoassimilates to Mg in wax gourd, as a raffinose family oligosaccharides (RFOs) transport crop, remains unknown.
For the first time, our study confirmed that stachyose and raffinose, comprising 54.9-78.0% of total carbohydrates in phloem sap, were the primary sugars responsible for long-distance transport in wax gourds, with their levels being enhanced by Mg.
Compared with Mg deficiency, Mg application stimulated sugar accumulation in leaves during seedling stages, whereas after fruit set, it significantly reduced the soluble sugar concentration by 33.5-67.9%, indicating that Mg controls the carbohydrate status in source (leaves), flow (phloem sap), and sink (mesocarp tissues) in wax gourds, particularly during fruit development phases.
Importantly, lower stachyose levels in phloem at fruit setting may serve as an early indicator of impaired sink process in wax gourds grown in Mg-deficient soil.
Ensuring sufficient Mg supply to plants with large sink sizes, such as wax gourd, during the reproductive stage is critical for achieving higher yield and improving seed vigor in subsequent generations, with several successful Mg fertilization strategies having been demonstrated and promoted in practice.
Publication
Authors
Jingjing Chang, Xiao Chen, Jiabin Jiao, Jinlong Li, Jing Li, Zhao Song, Baige Zhang
Keywords
wax gourd, magnesium, carbohydrate transport, RFOs, fruit yield, seed vigor
Groups involved
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