Effect of two nitrogen forms on the growth and iron nutrition of pea cultivated in presence of bicarbonate

Two cultivars of pea: 'PS210713' ('PS'), sensitive to iron deficiency, and 'Marveille de Kelvedon' ('MK'), tolerant, were cultivated in controlled climatic conditions during one month, on a nutrient solution containing either nitrate (NO3- 4 mM) or ammonium (NH4+, 4 mM) and in the presence of bicarbonate (10 mM). The effects of these nitrogen forms on the growth and the mineral nutrition, and especially iron nutrition are analyzed. The reduction of growth by bicarbonate was approximately 30% in case of NO3- nutrition in the two cultivars, whereas in ammoniacal treatment the reduction is only 6% and 18% respectively in 'PS' and 'MK' cultivars. In presence of bicarbonate, the plant growth is not stimulated by NO3- relatively to its growth on ammoniacal medium, as often noticed when plants are cultivated on medium without bicarbonate: In presence of this compound, the biomass production of plant pea, was not influenced by the nitrogen forms. The nitric source led to a ferric chlorosis in the sensitive cultivar plants whereas any chlorosis was noted when ammoniacal source was applied. On the other hand, nitric nitrogen form decreased the nitrogen feeding of plants and increased the potassium one, while the effect of the ammoniacal nitrogen form on these nutrients was quite the inverse. In addition, the later increased the allocation of iron towards shoots. Besides, with this nitrogen source there was not accumulation of nitrate in the plant tissues. In nitric feeding case, the nitrate is mainly accumulated in the roots of the two cultivars. It is noticeable that the sensitive cultivar ('PS') accumulates three times more nitrate than the tolerant one ('MK'). On the level of the whole plant, the iron and phosphorus nutrition seems unaltered by the nitrogen form.