Uptake and Distribution of Iron from Different Iron Sources Applied as Foliar Sprays to Chlorotic Leaves of Low-Chill Peach Cultivars

• Published in: Agricultural research (India : Online) 2014-12, Vol.3 (4), p.293-301
• Main Authors: Chakraborty, Binayak, Singh, Pramod Narayan, Kumar, Surendra, Srivastava, Prakash Chandra
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biodiversity; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Cell Biology; Full-Length Research Article; Life Sciences; Plant Biochemistry; Plant Ecology; Plant Genetics and Genomics; Plant Sciences
• ISSN: 2249-720X; 2249-7218
• DOI: 10.1007/s40003-014-0128-4

A greenhouse experiment was carried out to examine the uptake and distribution pattern of iron applied through different iron sources to chlorotic leaves of three low-chill peach cultivars viz. Saharanpur Prabhat, Shan-e-Punjab, and Pratap. The plants were grown in sandy loam soil containing 30 g CaCO 3 kg −1 soil in plastic pots. Upon the onset of iron deficiency symptoms, separate foliar spray treatments were given using Fe-sulfate [0.5 % (w/v) and 1.0 % (w/v)], Fe-citrate [0.5 % (w/v) and 1.0 % (w/v)], and Fe-EDTA [0.1 % (w/v) and 0.2 % (w/v)] in addition to the control which received foliar spray of only distilled water. All the spray solutions except distilled water were radiolabeled with 59 FeCl 3 . Seven days after imposition of the treatments, iron uptake and distribution was monitored. Among Fe sources, the highest Fe uptake and its distribution in the leaves were recorded with Fe-sulfate followed by Fe-citrate and FeEDTA. Among the low-chill peach cultivars, the highest Fe uptake and distribution was observed with 1.0 % (w/v) Fe-sulfate in Saharanpur Prabhat followed by Shan-e-Punjab and Pratap. The least uptake and distribution of Fe was recorded with 0.1 % (w/v) FeEDTA as iron source in the cultivar Pratap. The highest increase in physiologically active iron (Fe 2+ ) content as well as total iron content of the leaves was also observed with the application of 1.0 % (w/v) Fe-sulfate. However, the level of physiologically active (Fe 2+ ) iron content with 1.0 % (w/v) Fe-sulfate was found to be statistically similar the application of 0.5 % (w/v) Fe-sulfate. The leaf penetration capacity of iron and subsequent distribution of iron from different iron sources in different low-chill peach cultivars were found in the following order Fe-sulfate > Fe-citrate > Fe-EDTA.