Abstract
IN sterile cultures pea and clover use especially well aspartic and glutamic acids for their nitrogen nutrition, as demonstrated by previous experiments in this laboratory1. Both the optical forms are utilized2. If the nutrient solution contains aspartic acid as well as nitrate and ammonium sulphate, all these nitrogen sources are utilized simultaneously (see accompanying table). Aspartic acid thus competes with nitrate and ammonium nitrogens as a nitrogen source for peas, an important fact to be borne in mind when discussing the ability of plants to utilize organic nitrogen in natural conditions. Nitrogen nutrition has a marked effect on the structure of pea roots. Peas grown on nitrate nitrogen and without nitrogen form in this respect a special group; peas grown on aspartic acid nitrogen, on ammonium nitrogen and on nitrogen supplied by root nodules another.
Similar content being viewed by others
Article PDF
References
Virtanen, A. I., Report 18th Scand. Naturalist Congr. Copenhagen. 540 (1929). Förhandl. 4 Nord. Kem. Kongr. Oslo, 137 (1932). Virtanen, A. I., v. Hausen, S., and Karström, H., Biochem. Z., 258, 106 (1933).
Virtanen, A. I., and Arhimo, A. A., unpublished data (1939).
Virtanen, A. I., Ber. N.J.F. Kongres Kobenhavn, 203 (1935).
Cedrangolo, F., and Carandante, G., Boll. soc. ital. biol. sper., 15, 482 (1940).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
VIRTANEN, A., LINKOLA, H. Organic Nitrogen Compounds as Nitrogen Nutrition for Higher Plants. Nature 158, 515 (1946). https://doi.org/10.1038/158515a0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/158515a0
This article is cited by
-
Rethinking the sub-Antarctic terrestrial N-cycle: evidence for organic N acquisition by Marion Island grasses
Polar Biology (2024)
-
Organic N molecules in the soil solution: what is known, what is unknown and the path forwards
Plant and Soil (2014)
-
Cross-Ecosystem Comparisons of In Situ Plant Uptake of Amino Acid-N and NH4 +
Ecosystems (2010)
-
Reciprocal interactions between plants and soil in an upland grassland
Ecological Research (2009)
-
Light affects competition for inorganic and organic nitrogen between maize and rhizosphere microorganisms
Plant and Soil (2008)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.