Monitoring Nutrient Uptake of Chard (Beta vulgaris var. cicla L.) Exposed to Exogenously Applied Nitric Oxide under Drought Stress

Nutrient uptake of chard under well-watered and drought conditions with different NO applications were investigated in this research.NO solutions were prepared with four doses (0, 50, 100, 150 and 200 µM) of sodium nitroprusside as a nitric oxide source and exogenously applied on only seeds (s) or together with seed and foliar (sf) of chard under different levels of drought according to 100% (control), 67% and 33% of the water required to reach field capacity.Nutrient uptake drastically decreased under drought stress.However, progressive effects of NO applications on nutrient uptake have been observed under both well-watered conditions and under drought.The increase in N and P uptake of plant were significant especially for doses of 100 and 150 µM for both s and sf applications.The highest Fe, Cu and Zn content were obtained from 150 µM sf NO application, while the highest Mn and B were obtained from 150 µM s and 200 µM sf NO application in 67% level.However, in 33% level the highest Cu and B content were obtained from 150 µM sf NO application, while the highest Mn and Zn obtained from 100 µM sf and the highest Fe obtained from the 200 µM s NO application.