title: Amelioration of boron toxicity in sweet pepper as affected by calcium management under an elevated CO2concentration.
abstract: We investigated B tolerance in sweet pepper plants (Capsicum annuun L.) under an elevated CO2concentration, combined with the application of calcium as a nutrient management amelioration technique. The data show that high B affected the roots more than the aerial parts, since there was an increase in the shoot/root ratio, when plants were grown with high B levels; however, the impact was lessened when the plants were grown at elevated CO2, since the root FW reduction caused by excess B was less marked at the high CO2concentration (30.9% less). Additionally, the high B concentration affected the membrane permeability of roots, which increased from 39 to 54% at ambient CO2concentration, and from 38 to 51% at elevated CO2concentration, producing a cation imbalance in plants, which was differentially affected by the CO2supply. The Ca surplus in the nutrient solution reduced the nutritional imbalance in sweet pepper plants produced by the high B concentration, at both CO2concentrations. The medium B concentration treatment (toxic according to the literature) did not result in any toxic effect. Hence, there is a need to review the literature on critical and toxic B levels taking into account increases in atmospheric CO2.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Hortofruticultura, Instituto Murciano de Investigación y Desarrollo Agrario y Alimentario (IMIDA), 30150, Murcia, Spain.
authors.forename: María Carmen
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Piñero
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Hortofruticultura, Instituto Murciano de Investigación y Desarrollo Agrario y Alimentario (IMIDA), 30150, Murcia, Spain.
authors.forename: Margarita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pérez-Jiménez
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Hortofruticultura, Instituto Murciano de Investigación y Desarrollo Agrario y Alimentario (IMIDA), 30150, Murcia, Spain.
authors.forename: Josefa
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: López-Marín
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Hortofruticultura, Instituto Murciano de Investigación y Desarrollo Agrario y Alimentario (IMIDA), 30150, Murcia, Spain. franciscom.delamor@carm.es.
authors.forename: Francisco M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Del Amor
mesh_terms: D001895:Boron; D002118:Calcium; D002212:Capsicum / Q000378:metabolism*; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D002734:Chlorophyll / Q000378:metabolism; D010788:Photosynthesis
chemical_list: D002734:Chlorophyll; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D001895:Boron; D002118:Calcium
keywords: Boron toxicity; Calcium; Climate change; Desalinated water; Lipid peroxidation; Membrane permeability; Photosynthesis