1. Pungency of Spring Onion as Affected by Inoculation with Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and Sulfur Supply.
- Author
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Guo, Tao, Zhang, Junling, Christie, Peter, and Li, Xiaolin
- Subjects
ALLIUM ,SULFUR ,CROP growth ,PERLITE ,PLANT nutrients ,GLOMUS (Fungi) ,PLANT shoots ,PLANT roots ,MYCORRHIZAL plants - Abstract
The influence of sulfur (S) supply and mycorrhizal colonization on the growth and pungency of spring onion (Allium fistulosum L.) seedlings grown for four months in Perlite and nutrient solution containing three levels of sulfate [0.1, 1.75, and 4 mM sulfate (SO42-)] were investigated. Plants were inoculated with Glomus etunicatum, Glomus intraradices, or Glomus mosseae, and uninoculated controls were included. Shoot and root dry weights of mycorrhizal and control plants supplied with 4 mM SO42+ were higher than with 0.1 or 1.75 mM SO42-. Enzyme produced pyruvic acid (EPY) and plant sulfur concentrations increased with increasing SO42- supply. The EPY and plant S concentrations were usually higher in mycorrhizal plants than controls irrespective of S supply, and shoot total S concentrations and EPY were strongly correlated. Arbuscular mycorrhizal colonization appeared to make a substantial contribution to the sulfur status of spring onion, and may thus have had a strong influence on its flavor characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2007
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