Environmental and Experimental Botany最新文献

{"title":"Water-use characteristics of Populus euphratica trees in response to flood and groundwater depth in desert oasis","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2024.105915","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2024.105915","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p><em>Populus euphratica</em>, as the dominant species in arid desert area, plays an important role in maintaining the stability of desert ecosystem. However, <em>P. euphratica</em> water-use characteristics at different sizes and the effects of flooding and groundwater depth on water use remain unclear. In this study, the hydrogen and oxygen isotope compositions of xylem water, soil water, and floods were measured and coupled with the MixSIAR model to investigate the water-use patterns of <em>P. euphratica</em> at different sizes, flood periods (before, during, and after floods), and groundwater depths in the Taklimakan Desert hinterland. The carbon isotope composition of <em>P. euphratica</em> leaves was determined to investigate the water-use efficiency (WUE) of <em>P. euphratica</em>. The water-use patterns of <em>P. euphratica</em> at different sizes were consistent because of its reproductive mode (aswxual root tiller reproduction). <em>P. euphratica</em> showed a greater degree of ecological plasticity during different flood periods. Before the flood, the main water sources for <em>P. euphratica</em> were deep-soil-layer (140–220 cm) and near-groundwater-layer (220–300 cm). During the flood, it could absorb the flood directly, reducing water absorption from deep-soil-layer and near-groundwater-layer. After the flood, it resumed water absorption from deep-soil-layer and near-groundwater-layer. <em>P. euphratica</em> water absorption patterns differed at different groundwater depths. In the shallow and middle groundwater depth sample plots, the water sources were the deep-soil and near-groundwater layers, and the population of <em>P. euphratica</em> grew well. In the deep sample plot, water absorption was mainly near the groundwater layer, and the <em>P. euphratica</em> population showed a decreasing trend, further explaining the degradation of <em>P. euphratica</em> in terms of water-use patterns. WUE is related to the growth stage of <em>P. euphratica</em> and the water conditions of the living environment; the more mature the <em>P. euphratica</em>, the more deficit the water conditions, and the higher the WUE. This study provides a basis for maintaining the stability of <em>P. euphratica</em> forests in arid deserts and for water allocation.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":11758,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Experimental Botany","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2024-07-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141769323","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Biomass-derived carbon dots enhanced maize (Zea mays L.) drought tolerance by regulating phyllosphere microorganisms and ion fluxes","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2024.105913","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2024.105913","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Enhancing crop drought tolerance is beneficial for increasing crop yield and ensuring food security. This study demonstrates that foliar application of biomass-derived carbon dots (Soy-CDs, 10 mg·L⁻¹) can enhance the drought tolerance of maize, leading to an increase in fresh weight of maize shoots and roots (50.5 % and 54.9 %) and dry weight of maize shoots and roots (40.0 % and 37.7 %), respectively. Meanwhile, Soy-CDs altered the abundance of phyllosphere microorganisms (e.g. <em>Proteobacteria</em>, <em>Deinococcus-Thermus</em>, <em>Verrucomicrobia</em>, and <em>Actinobacteria</em>) of maize under drought stress, which enhanced the nitrogen fixation and stress resistance in maize leaves. Besides, Soy-CDs also promote Ca²⁺ influx and Na⁺ efflux in maize mesophyll cells under drought stress, facilitating the regulation of ion osmotic balance and contributing to the improvement of maize drought tolerance. Furthermore, Soy-CDs enhanced photosynthesis (55.3 %) of maize under drought stress, and the full life cycle study showed that Soy-CDs can promote the metabolism of maize kernels, ultimately improve the yield (40.5 %) and nutritional quality of maize. Therefore, this work discovers the enormous potential of biomass-derived carbon dots in improving drought resistance and quality of crop, which contributes to ensure food security.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":11758,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Experimental Botany","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2024-07-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141769325","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Pattern of water use by Tamarix ramosissima seedlings in floodplains under varied groundwater depths in the hinterland of the Taklimakan Desert","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2024.105912","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2024.105912","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The water use of <em>Tamarix ramosissima</em> Ledeb. seedlings after flooding were analyzed both to explore the maintenance mechanism and pattern of natural regeneration of riparian forest, which will provide a scientific basis for restoration of desert riparian forest and ecosystem stability in the lower reaches of inland rivers of arid regions. This study area was located in the hinterland of the Taklimakan Desert in Xinjiang, China. <em>Tamarix ramosissima</em> seedlings growing on different groundwater depths at the river floodplain were used as the study system. The rooting depths of <em>T. ramosissima</em> seedlings with different basal stem diameters were ascertained by the root excavation method. The water source for the <em>T. ramosissima</em> seedlings was clarified using hydrogen and oxygen stable isotope methods, and the water use efficiency of <em>T. ramosissima</em> seedlings was investigated by stable carbon isotope (<em>δ</em>¹³C) analysis. As the basal stem diameter classes of the <em>T. ramosissima</em> seedlings increased, their root depths increased. As the groundwater depth increased, the seedlings changed from primarily utilizing deep soil water to utilizing shallow soil water. In the three sample sites, the average depth of water uptake of the seedlings with basal stem diameters of 0–5 mm was 110.5, 44.1 and 39.1 cm, respectively, and that of seedlings with basal stem diameters of 5–11 mm was 83.8, 73.6 and 37.7 cm, respectively. As groundwater depth increased, the average water uptake depth of the seedlings gradually became shallower. There was no significant difference in the <em>δ</em>¹³C values of leaves under different groundwater depths, indicating that the seedlings were not subjected to water stress. Thus, surface water played a greater role than groundwater in <em>T</em>. <em>ramosissima</em> seedling water utilization. Therefore, when analyzing ecological water conveyance patterns, attention should be paid to <em>T. ramosissima</em> located in areas with deep groundwater. Shallow-rooted seedlings with small basal stem diameters face an increased risk of wilting if they do not receive timely recharges of surface water.</p></div><div><h3>Data Availability</h3><p>All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":11758,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Experimental Botany","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2024-07-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141736346","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Genome-wide re-identification of the CrRLK1L family in soybean and functional characterization of GmCrRLK1L2 in salt stress response","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2024.105903","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2024.105903","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The <em>Catharanthus roseus</em> receptor-like kinase 1-like (CrRLK1L), a member of the plant receptor-like kinase family, plays crucial roles in plant development and stress response. Despite previous screenings of soybean CrRLK1Ls, their specific function in stress response remains unclear. Utilizing recent soybean whole genome sequencing data, a comprehensive genome-wide analysis was performed to identify CrRLK1Ls in soybean. This study identified 45 CrRLK1L members in soybean, with CrRLK1L2 singled out for further functional investigation. Phylogenetic analysis categorized <em>GmCrRLK1L</em> genes into six classes, some of which exhibited homologs in <em>Arabidopsis</em>. Gene structure and motif analysis revealed a predominance of intron-lacking and relatively conserved <em>GmCrRLK1L</em> genes, with conserved motif patterns across members. Collinearity analysis indicated that both gene tandem and segmental duplication events drove the expansion of the GmCrRLK1L gene family, with segmental duplications being the primary driver. Expression profiling under salt treatment revealed significant up or downregulation of several <em>GmCrRLK1L</em> genes. Overexpression of <em>GmCrRLK1L2</em> in soybean resulted in reduced plant height and salt tolerance, while knockout did not affect salt tolerance, suggesting potential genetic compensations by other genes. RNA-seq data showed that <em>GmCrRLK1L2</em> overexpression influenced the expression of metabolic pathways and salt stress-responsive genes, including <em>ACS3, ACO1, PER64, PER53, SAT3,</em> and <em>BCAT2</em>. These findings lay the groundwork for elucidating the biological roles of GmCrRLK1Ls in soybean growth, development, and response to salinity stress.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":11758,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Experimental Botany","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2024-07-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141769326","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Transcriptomic and comprehensive analysis of salt stress–alleviating mechanisms by Ensifer sesbaniae DY22 in soybean","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2024.105908","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2024.105908","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Soil salinization poses a major constraint to crop productivity worldwide. Cultivated soybean (<em>Glycine max</em>) is a major oilseed crop with moderate salt tolerance. Accumulating evidence indicates that plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) can promote crop growth and reduce the negative impacts of salt stress on crops. In the present study, we isolated DY22, a newly identified strain of <em>Ensifer sesbaniae</em>, from saline soil and determined that it showed high tolerance to 4 % NaCl. DY22 treatment enhanced the tolerance of soybean to salt stress compared to salt-treated control seedlings. We analyzed the mechanism underlying DY22-mediated salt tolerance in soybean via physiological, biochemical, and transcriptomic analyses. DY22 inoculation significantly increased chlorophyll accumulation and soluble sugar and proline contents in soybean under salt stress. Moreover, inoculation with DY22 enhanced antioxidant enzyme activity and reduced malondialdehyde contents compared with non-inoculation treatment under salt stress. Transcriptomic analysis revealed 8911 differentially expressed genes (4412 upregulated and 4499 downregulated) in DY22-inoculated plants under high-salinity conditions compared with the salt-treated control. GO and KEGG pathway analysis suggested that DY22 affects the transcriptional responses of genes involved in photosynthesis, oxidation-reduction, and plant hormone-mediated pathways, especially auxin, jasmonic acid, and abscisic acid signaling under salt stress. Overall, these findings highlight the important contribution of DY22 in mitigating the deleterious effects of salinity on soybean growth and development and provide valuable insights into the mechanisms underlying plant–microbes interactions.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":11758,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Experimental Botany","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2024-07-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0098847224002661/pdfft?md5=e19a7ace21c7e8022095950cec9d8d7d&pid=1-s2.0-S0098847224002661-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141729609","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"High nitrogen-driven photosynthesis limitation in shade-demanding species mediated by stomatal conductance through plasma membrane intrinsic proteins","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2024.105909","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2024.105909","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Photosynthesis is susceptible to nitrogen (N) surplus. However, the mechanism of reduced photosynthesis by N surplus need to be further verified in the shade-demanding and high-N-sensitive species. Photosynthetic capacity, N allocation, stomatal parameters, the correlation between <em>PIP</em> (encoding plasma membrane intrinsic proteins) expression and total stomatal conductance (g_t) were analyzed in <em>Panax notoginseng</em> grown under the levels of low N (LN), moderate N (MN) and high N (HN). N content per unit leaf area (N_area) was increased with increasing N application. HN resulted in an increase in N allocation to the light capture system (<em>P</em>_L) and a decrease in N allocation to the carboxylation system (<em>P</em>_C). Net photosynthetic rate (<em>P</em>_n), stomatal conductance (g_s), the maximum electron transport rate (<em>J</em>_max) and the maximum carboxylation rate (<em>V</em>_cmax) were lower in the LN and HN plants. Under HN condition, the limitation to stomatal conductance (S_L) and limitation to biochemical factors (B_L) were the main factors for reducing photosynthetic efficiency. The stomatal area index (SAI) was more closely correlated with stomatal density (SD) than with stomatal length (SS). g_s was partially correlated with SS or SD. The correlation analysis showed that the relative expression of <em>PIP1.3</em>, <em>PIP1.4</em> and <em>PIP2.7</em> is positively correlated with g_t /N_area. The results obtained suggest that high-N-driven limitation to photosynthesis in the shade-demanding and HN-sensitive medicinal crop, such as <em>P. notoginseng</em>, is mainly derived from the decrease in g_s, and partly from the decrease in the carboxylation capacity of RuBP.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":11758,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Experimental Botany","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2024-07-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141769327","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"OsSAUR2, a small auxin-up RNA gene, is crucial for arsenic tolerance and accumulation in rice","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2024.105894","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2024.105894","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Arsenic (As) contamination in rice poses a significant concern for food safety. Characterization of As-responsive genes is fundamental for rice safety production. However, little is known about the functional role of small auxin-up RNA (SAUR) genes in As-stress response in rice. Herein, we establish the involvement of <em>OsSAUR2</em> in regulation of As tolerance and accumulation of rice plants. <em>OsSAUR2</em> was predominantly expressed in leaves of rice seedlings, and whose expression was strongly induced in roots and shoots under arsenite [As(III)] stress. The <em>OsSAUR2</em>-overexpressed transgenic lines (OE-<em>OsSAUR2</em>) exhibited sensitive to, while the knockout mutants (<em>Ossaur2</em>) were more resistant to As(III). Compared with wild-type (WT) plants, OE-<em>OsSAUR2</em> had significantly higher content of As in both roots and shoots, whereas <em>Ossaur2</em> mutants accumulated greatly higher concentration of As in roots but extensively lower content of As in shoots. OsSAUR2 proteins were localized in the nucleus and cytomembrane, and interacted with the protein phosphatase OsPP2C72 on cytomembrane. Under the treatment with higher concentration of As(III), the expression level of <em>OsPP2C72</em> gene was strongly up-regulated, especially at 3 h, 9 h, and 48 h in roots and 3 h and 12 h in shoots. These findings may add our understanding on the regulatory role of the OsSAUR2-OsPP2C72 module in response to As stress in rice.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":11758,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Experimental Botany","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2024-07-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141638396","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Taller trees exhibit greater hydraulic vulnerability in southern Amazonian forests","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2024.105905","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2024.105905","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Potential increases in drought frequency and vapour pressure deficit pose a risk to the future function of tropical trees. Previous studies have found that taller tropical trees show a stronger increase in mortality than shorter trees in response to dry anomalies, but the mechanisms behind this are unclear. Here we investigate whether canopy branches of taller tropical trees have different hydraulic traits compared to shorter conspecifics. We determined xylem resistance to embolism (P₅₀), hydraulic safety margin (HSM), xylem functional traits and xylem theoretical hydraulic conductivity for canopy branches of four tree species across a range of tree heights (sapling to maximum tree height) in an ecotonal forest near the Amazonia-Cerrado transition. We found that canopy branches of taller trees within each species have lower HSM, suggesting that they are more susceptible to hydraulic failure under drought than smaller conspecifics. Height-related trends in HSM were driven by variation in P₅₀ with height and not by variation in leaf water potential which did not vary with height. We find that canopy branches with greater xylem vessel diameters are generally more vulnerable to embolism, suggesting a potential role for a diameter-safety linkage in explaining observed patterns of decreasing HSM with height. However, we find no evidence of a branch-level trade-off between theoretical hydraulic conductivity and hydraulic vulnerability. The greater hydraulic vulnerability of larger trees provides a potential explanation for the higher drought-induced mortality observed in taller tropical trees. The consistency of the height-P₅₀ relationship across species opens the door to a more accurate prediction of southern Amazon forest responses to future droughts. Whether the findings for forests in southern Amazonia can be generalized to other Amazonian regions remains an open question.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":11758,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Experimental Botany","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2024-07-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141706025","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Arsenic tolerance in Tagetes erecta L.: Phytoaccumulation, physicochemical and anatomical studies through electron microscopy","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2024.105910","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2024.105910","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Arsenic (As), a toxic metalloid that is becoming more and more concentrated in the environment, poses risks to human health, plant production, and species at every trophic level through bioaccumulation and biomagnification. Finding tolerant and hyperaccumulative plant species that can be used in contaminated land is a potential eco-friendly strategy for As removal in terms of its mitigation. <em>Tagetes erecta</em> L. is an ornamental plant species chosen as phytoremediator plant for As removal. To assess the morphological and biochemical changes we conducted pot experiments with plants that were treated with different concentration of sodium arsenate (Na3AsO4) for up to 60 days. Atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS) was used to measure the amount of As absorbed in various tissues of the plant. Highest As accumulation was detected in root tissues (12.864 mg kg⁻¹), whereas shoot had least quantity of As (3.443 mg kg⁻¹). With increasing As concentrations, the maximum levels of proline and polyphenol were 14.743 µ mol g⁻¹ and 4.25 mg g⁻¹, respectively. At 60 days, antioxidant enzymes APX (6.952 mM mg⁻¹), CAT (2.143 mM mg⁻¹), and GR (76.631 mM mg⁻¹) were found to be increased. As transport and distribution were confirmed by anatomical analysis in root and shoot tissues by FESEM-EDX, TEM, and light microscopy. The results obtained after morpho-physiological and anatomical studies are in favor of high degree of tolerance of As concentration (25 mg kg⁻¹) by <em>T. erecta</em> suggesting that it could be a potential phytoremediator of As from polluted soil.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":11758,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Experimental Botany","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2024-07-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141694493","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Vertical non-uniform distribution of soil salinity enhances nitrogen utilization efficiency and influences δ15N distribution in tomato plants","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2024.105911","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2024.105911","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Soil salinity typically exhibits non-uniform distribution in the natural environment. However, how vertically non-uniform distribution of soil salinity in the root zone (VNDSR) regulated plant nitrogen metabolism is still largely elusive. This study aimed to investigate the impact of VNDSR on leaf Malondialdehyde (MDA) content, upper and lower root activity, leaf Na⁺/Ca²⁺ and Na⁺/K⁺, various tomato organs’ nitrogen concentration (%) and natural abundance of nitrogen isotopes (δ¹⁵N,‰), and nitrogen utilization efficiency of tomato plants. Four treatments were established, including the upper layer of the root zone having soil salinity levels of 1 ‰, 1 ‰, 2 ‰, and 3 ‰, while the corresponding lower layer of the root zone had soil salinity levels of 1 ‰, 5 ‰, 4 ‰, and 3 ‰, respectively, denoted as T_1:1, T_1:5, T_2:4, and T_3:3. The results showed that under the same average soil salinity conditions and compared to the treatment with uniform soil salinity distribution in the root zone (T_3:3), the VNDSR treatment (T_1:5) significantly reduced leaf MDA content (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.01), Na⁺/Ca²⁺ (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.01) and Na⁺/K⁺ (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.01), and stem δ¹⁵N values (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.05). Moreover, the VNDSR treatment (T_1:5) significantly increased the ratio of upper and lower root biomass-weighted root activity (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.01), tomato fruit yield (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.01), and nitrogen partial factor productivity (PFP, gg⁻¹, <em>p</em> &lt; 0.01) compared to uniform salt distribution treatment (T_3:3). There were significant positive correlations (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.05) between leaf δ¹⁵N values and Nitrogen Absorption Ratio (NAR, %, <em>p</em> &lt; 0.05) and PFP (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.05), indicating that under VNDSR, δ¹⁵N values can serve as an indicator that comprehensively reflects the information of plant nitrogen utilization efficiency. In conclusion, the VNDSR could mitigate the damage of salt stress to tomatoes, enhance plant nitrogen uptake and utilization efficiency, and promote the growth and development of tomatoes.</p></div><div><h3>Data Availability</h3><p>The datasets generated or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":11758,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Experimental Botany","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2024-07-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141706260","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}