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. 1990 Jul;115(3):395-429.
doi: 10.1111/j.1469-8137.1990.tb00467.x.

Tansley Review No. 24 Why are atmospheric oxides of nitrogen usually phytotoxic and not alternative fertilizers?

Alan R Wellburn  1
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Free article

Tansley Review No. 24 Why are atmospheric oxides of nitrogen usually phytotoxic and not alternative fertilizers?

Alan R Wellburn. New Phytol. 1990 Jul.
Free article

Abstract

Atmospheric pollution by the oxides of nitrogen, NO and NO2 , can cause reductions in growth but rarely visible injury. This review considers their uptake into foliage, as well as their subsequent metabolism and physiology, and attempts to explain why these gases are often phytotoxic. The combined stresses of resisting cellular acidification, enhanced levels of nitrite (and ammonia), and the direct interference of the free radical ('N=O) with critical enzymes, reaction centres and regulatory mechanisms are thought to be the main reasons why oxides of nitrogen, especially NO, inhibit growth. If other air pollutants such as SO2 are also present with NO or NO2 then free radical-induced injury, similar to that caused by O3 alone, also occurs. CONTENTS Summary 395 I. Introduction 396 II. Uptake and cycling of oxides of nitrogen 396 III. Biochemical responses to NO and NO2 405 IV. Physiological responses to NO and NO2 410 V. Combinations of NO and NO2 with other pollutants 416 VI. Recapitulation and beyond 418 Acknowledgements 420 References 420.

Keywords: Air pollution; nitrate and nitrite reduction; nitric oxide; nitrogen dioxide; photosynthesis; respiration.

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References

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    1. Amundson, R. G. & McClean, D. C. (1982). Influence of oxides of nitrogen on crop growth and yield: an overview. In: Air Pollution by Nitrogen Oxides (Ed. by T. Schneider, T. Grant & C. Grant), pp. 501-510. Elsevier, Amsterdam .
    1. Anderson, L. S. & Mansfield, T. A. (1979). The effects of nitric oxide pollution on the growth of tomato. Environmental Pollution 20, 113-121.
    1. Arndt, U. (1974). The Kautsky effect-a method for the action of air pollutants in chloroplasts. Environmental Pollution 6, 181-194.
    1. Asada, K., Deura, R. & Kasai, Z. (1968). Effect of sulphate ions on photophosphorylation by spinach chloroplasts. Plant and Cell Physiology 9, 143-146.

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