Crop demand of manganese

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Plant Nutrition
• Soil Science

Background:

• Manganese (Mn2+) is an essential micronutrient for plant growth.
• Understanding crop tolerance to low Mn2+ levels is vital for optimizing yields in diverse soil conditions.
• Previous research has not comprehensively evaluated Mn2+ requirements for popular Hungarian rotation crops.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the tolerance of sunflower, tobacco, and triticale to low external manganese (Mn2+) concentrations.
• To determine the critical tissue concentration of Mn2+ deficiency in these crops during early growth stages.
• To establish optimal soil Mn2+ levels for the studied crop species.

Main Methods:

• Comparative analysis of sunflower, tobacco, and triticale growth under varying low Mn2+ soil conditions.
• Determination of minimum soil Mn2+ concentrations required for each crop.
• Measurement of critical shoot Mn2+ concentrations indicative of deficiency.

Main Results:

• Minimum soil Mn2+ requirements: sunflower (42.5 mg kg−1), tobacco (24.3 mg kg−1), and triticale (10.2 mg kg−1).
• Optimal growth ranges for Mn2+ soil concentration varied significantly among species.
• Critical shoot Mn2+ concentrations for deficiency were identified: sunflower (53.6 mg kg−1), tobacco (458.0 mg kg−1), and triticale (193.8 mg kg−1).

Conclusions:

• Crop species exhibit distinct tolerances to low external Mn2+ levels.
• Critical tissue Mn2+ concentrations for deficiency are species-specific.
• Findings provide essential data for managing Mn2+ nutrition in Hungarian agricultural systems.