Research Article Open Access

Plants Responses to Nutrients Follow the Saturation Kinetic Typical of Enzyme Systems: Biological, Economical and Environmental Implications

R.P. Lana1
  • 1 Federal University of Viçosa, Av. Peter Henry Rolfs, Brazil

Abstract

Agricultural efficiency has been associated with high plant productivity. However, it is dependent on fertilizers, which are nonrenewable resources. Crop production response to fertilizers is hyperbolic, following the Michaelis-Menten model and the law of diminishing return. Data of crop production (barley, bean, corn, cotton, soybean and wheat) as a function of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium fertilization were analyzed by Lineweaver-Burk data transformation (L-B), that allows to calculate the amount of a specific nutrient needed to reach half (ks) or other percentages of the theoretical maximum response (kmax) and the efficiency of fertilizer use (kg of grain/kg of fertilizer). The efficiency of fertilizer use presented exponential decay by increasing fertilization: 55 to 3; 63 to 5; and 47 to 1 kg of corn/kg of fertilizer, by increasing nitrogen, P2O5 and potassium from 40 to 200; 40 to 200; and 60 to 300 kg ha−1, respectively. The L-B can be an alternative to the linearplateau and polynomial regression methods of recommendation of plant fertilization, in which the fertilizers recommendation should be based on their efficiency of use, avoiding losses of nutrients, environmental pollution, waste of nonrenewable natural resources, and reducing productive costs.

OnLine Journal of Biological Sciences
Volume 8 No. 1, 2008, 19-24

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3844/ojbsci.2008.19.24

Submitted On: 7 June 2006 Published On: 31 March 2008

How to Cite: Lana, R. (2008). Plants Responses to Nutrients Follow the Saturation Kinetic Typical of Enzyme Systems: Biological, Economical and Environmental Implications. OnLine Journal of Biological Sciences, 8(1), 19-24. https://doi.org/10.3844/ojbsci.2008.19.24

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Keywords

  • Crop
  • fertilizer
  • lineweaver-burk
  • michaelis-menten
  • yield