Impact of Nitrogen Fertilizer Levels on Metabolite Profiling of the <i>Lycium barbarum</i> L. Fruit
Zhigang Shi,
Feng Wei,
Ru Wan,
Yunxiang Li,
Yajun Wang,
Wei An,
Ken Qin,
Guoli Dai,
Youlong Cao,
Jiayue Feng
Affiliations
Zhigang Shi
Wolfberry Engineering Research Institute, Ningxia Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, National Wolfberry Engineering Research Center, Yinchuan 750002, China
Feng Wei
College of Horticulture, Northwest A & F University, Yangling, Xianyang 712000, China
Ru Wan
Wolfberry Engineering Research Institute, Ningxia Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, National Wolfberry Engineering Research Center, Yinchuan 750002, China
Yunxiang Li
Wolfberry Engineering Research Institute, Ningxia Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, National Wolfberry Engineering Research Center, Yinchuan 750002, China
Yajun Wang
Wolfberry Engineering Research Institute, Ningxia Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, National Wolfberry Engineering Research Center, Yinchuan 750002, China
Wei An
Wolfberry Engineering Research Institute, Ningxia Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, National Wolfberry Engineering Research Center, Yinchuan 750002, China
Ken Qin
Wolfberry Engineering Research Institute, Ningxia Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, National Wolfberry Engineering Research Center, Yinchuan 750002, China
Guoli Dai
Wolfberry Engineering Research Institute, Ningxia Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, National Wolfberry Engineering Research Center, Yinchuan 750002, China
Youlong Cao
Wolfberry Engineering Research Institute, Ningxia Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, National Wolfberry Engineering Research Center, Yinchuan 750002, China
Jiayue Feng
College of Horticulture, Northwest A & F University, Yangling, Xianyang 712000, China
The yield and quality of goji (Lycium barbarum L.) fruit are heavily dependent on fertilizer, especially the availability of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (N, P, and K, respectively). In this study, we performed a metabolomic analysis of the response of goji berry to nitrogen fertilizer levels using an Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography−Electrospray Ionization−Tandem Mass Spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-MS/MS) method. There was no significant difference in the fruit yield or the commodity grade between N0 (42.5 g/plant), N1 (85 g/plant), and N2 (127.5 g/plant). The primary nutrients of the goji berry changed with an increasing nitrogen fertilization. Comparative metabolomic profiling of three nitrogen levels resulted in the identification of 612 metabolites, including amino acids, flavonoids, carbohydrates, organic acids, and lipids/alcohols, among others, of which 53 metabolites (lipids, fatty acids, organic acids, and phenolamides) demonstrated significant changes. These results provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms of the relationship between yield and quality of goji berry and nitrogen fertilizer.
