BIOFORTIFICATION AND SHOOT: ROOT RATIO IN WHEAT SEEDLINGS UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF CERTAIN MINERAL ELEMENTS

Abstract

Researching the way to strike a balance for the shoot : root ratio is beneficial for the normal growth and development of wheat plants even from the early stages of vegetation. The aim of this research was to study the influence of some mineral elements, with a structural and nutritional value, on shoot and root biomass and on the shoot : root ratio in wheat seedlings. The fertilizer used for providing the mineral elements was Lithovit; this is a product based on calcium carbonate and magnesium, with a balanced content of nutrients (Ca, Mg, Fe, Si, K, Na, P and Mn). The biological material was represented by Alex wheat cultivar, species Triticum aestivum L. ssp vulgare. The mineral elements were applied on the shoots when the wheat seedlings were in development stage 12-13 BBCH, through three concentrations of Lithovit (0.35%, 0.7% and 1%). One variant was treated with water, thus it became the control variant, for reference. The treatments applied had a different influence on the quantity of fresh and dry biomass at root level and at shoot level; the results presented statistical significance (p < 0.01; Fcrit <