Response of radish to multiple stresses: I. Physiological and growth responses to changes in ozone and nitrogen

Experiments were conducted to determine the impact of nitrogen and ozone (O₃ ) stress on the growth of domestic radish Raphanus sativus L. cv. Cherry Belle. Plants were grown in field chambers with sub-, optimal and supra-optimal levels of nitrogenous fertilizer. Chamber air was either charcoal-filtered, or supplemented with one of two levels of O₃ . The highest O₃ treatment resulted in significant reduction in weight of hypocotyls and roots while elevated nitrogen treatments resulted in increased weight of all plant parts. Ozone did not affect the weight of plant foliage at any nitrogen level. Plants grown with lower levels of nitrogen had less leaf biomass but the tissue accounted for a greater percentage total weight than did the foliage of higher nitrogen treatments. Relative growth rate of whole plants was not affected by O₃ or nitrogen treatments reflecting compensation in response to both stresses. Ozone-induced depression in biomass was observed in O₃ -treated plants grown with higher nitrogen supply but not in those grown with limiting nitrogen. This observation could reflect compensation at the lower levels of nitrogen supply or inability to detect changes in biomass due to reduced weights of plants grown at the lowest nitrogen supply. The dry weight ratio of sink organs (hypocotyl plus root)/shoot was significantly correlated with the total non-structural carbohydrate (TNC) content of these organs, regardless of treatment. Initially, O₃ induced a significant decrease and nitrogen an increase in percent TNC of sink organs. At later sampling times, plants adjusted to stress as effects on percent TNC were no longer evident.

Qualitative and quantitative effects of ozone and/or sulfur dioxide on field-grown potato plants

Solanum tuberosum L. cv Norchip plants were grown in open-top chambers in the summer of 1986. Plants were treated with charcoal-filtered air, nonfiltered air, or nonfiltered air supplemented with 33, 66, or 99% of the ambient ozone (O3) concentrations from 1000 to 2000 h eastern daylight time daily. In addition, plants received charcoal-filtered air plus 0, 0.15 (393 microg m(-3)), 0.34 (891 microg m(-3)), or 0.61 (1598 microg m(-3)) ppm sulfur dioxide (SO2) from 0900 to 1200 h once every 14 d for a total of four treatments. Ozone induced a linear reduction in number and weight of Grade One (> 6.35-cm diameter) potato tubers and in total weight of tubers. Ozone also induced linear reductions in the percentage of dry matter of tubers and linear decreases in glucose and fructose content of Grade One tubers. Sulfur dioxide induced a stimulation and then decline of the number, percentage of dry matter, and sucrose content of Grade One tubers. The SO2 response best fit a quadratic curve. No O3 x SO2 interactions were detected for any of the yield or quality functions measured.