Effects of metribuzin herbicide on nitrogen, pigments, protease and nitrate reductase activity of normal and NaCl-stressed castor bean and maize plants

Abstract

Addition of 0.5 and 2.5 gm-3 of metribuzin into Hoagland nutrient media, either alone or in combination with NaCl, induced significant decreases in nitrate-, amino-, ammonia-, and total soluble-N contents, whereas significant increases in these nitrogen fractions were apparent in maize and castor bean seedlings and plants treated with high concentrations (5 and 10 g m-3) of the herbicide, again either alone or in combination with NaCl. Protein- and total-N contents increased and decreased at low and high concentrations of the herbicide, respectively. The contents of chlorophylls a and b, as well as carotenoids of both castor bean and maize seedlings and plants treated with low concentration of herbicide, either alone or supplemented with NaCl, were unaffected, whereas at high concentrations of the herbicide a significant decrease in chloroplast pigments was found. Nitrate reductase activity (NRA) was increased significantly at low concentrations of the herbicide alone and decreased significantly at high levels. Inclusion of NaCl into the herbicide media induced significant decreases in NRA of both castor bean and maize seedlings and plants. Unlike NRA changes, protease activity was increased significantly with high concentrations (5 and 10 g m-3) of metribuzin and decreased significantly with its low (0.5 and 2.5 g m-3) concentrations. © 1994 Institute of Experimental Botany.