Nitrate reductase activity and oxalate content of sugar-beet leaves.

Abstract

Diploid sugar beet was grown in controlled environment at 25/17 deg C in 14-h photoperiods in well aerated, regularly changed nutrient solution containing 6 meq NO3/l. When 6 leaves had been expanded, the total carboxylate content of the oldest leaf (leaf 1) was found to be 5836 meq/kg DM, while that of leaf 6 was only 2312 meq/kg; the difference was mainly due to oxalate content, which was 5236 meq/kg in leaf 1 and 1744 meq/kg in leaf 6. Nitrate-N content was about 50% higher in leaf 1 than in leaf 4. Nitrate-reductase activity fell to very low values as leaves aged. Experiments in which young and old leaf material was mixed, or oxalate at 0-4000 meq/kg DM was added to leaf samples, showed that oxalate had no substantial effect on nitrate-reductase activity. (Abstract retrieved from CAB Abstracts by CABI’s permission)