Effect of artificial shading and soil humidity on allocation of some nutrients in the organs of wild pistachio saplings

Abstract

In order to evaluate the role of different regimes of soil humidity and light intensity on allocation pattern of nutrients in the organs of wild pistachio sapling, this research was carried out in Albroz Research Complex (Karaj, Iran) during 2014 summer. One year pot based wild pistachio saplings were treated by soil humidity (including 100%, 50% and 20% of field capacity) and artificial shading (including 0%, 30% and 50% of full sunlight) factors in a split plot experiment based on a randomized complete block design with 3 replicates and 10 saplings per plot. After more than 4 months seedlings were pulled out from the pots and N, P, K and Zn contents were measured in their root, stem and leaves. Results showed that drought, shade and their interaction had no effect on concentration of studied elements in root. Zn content is the only stem variable which is affected and decreased by water deficit. Water deficit significantly decreased N and Zn content of leaves as well. Interaction of shading and drought stress had significant effects on N and K content of leaves, so that increasing the amount of shade caused increase of these elements concentration for moderate and severe shade and decreased them for without stress treated saplings. In general we concluded that shade is helpful for drought induced wild pistachio saplings and improves nutrients transportation process from root to shoot.

Keywords

• nitrogen
• potassium
• phosphorous
• zinc