FOLIAR AMINO ACIDS AND PROTEINS OF MAIZE (ZEA MAYS) IN RELATION TO LONG-TERM HYPOXIC CONDITIONS UNDER SUPPLEMENTARY NO3-N

Abstract

Maize Plants were grown under normal and long term flooding conditions using three different NO3-N regimes (196, 294 and 392 mg N kg-1 soil). Continuous flooding for 21 days had caused significant changes in N containing compounds. A consistent increase in total soluble proteins was observed when external NO3-N levels were raised in the non-flooded as well as in the flooded pots. Although, continuing hypoxic conditions had not resulted in any significant alteration in free amino acids but supplemented NO3-N caused an increase in amino acids under aerated conditions. This study revealed that addition of NO3-N under waterlogged conditions is not advantageous to N metabolism thus causing an incoherent pattern of amino acids and protein accumulation.