Efeito do cobre e sua interação com o zinco no cultivo de plantas de batata-doce: alterações morfofisiológicas e bioquímicas

Abstract

Actually, the excess of micronutrients has been considered one of the main environmental problems, especially in areas influenced by human activity. Among them, stand out the copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn), which at low concentrations are essential in many physiological processes. Therefore, this work aimed to study the effect of different Cu concentration and its interaction with Zn in nutrient solution. The parameters analyzed in sweet potato plants were morphology, photosynthesis, antioxidant metabolism, mineral profile and stomatal characteristics. For this analysis, the plants were evaluated under hydroponics system, to different Cu concentrations (0.041 control; 0.082; 0.123 e 0.164 mM) and different Cu-Zn treatments T1 (0.041 mM Cu + 0.085 mM Zn control); T2 (0.041 mM Cu + 0.850 mM Zn); T3 (0.123 mM Cu + 0.085 mM Zn) e T4 (0.123 mM Cu + 0.850 mM Zn)]. The high Cu concentrations (0.123 and 0.164 mM) affected the photosynthetic reaction, reducing the photochemical activity and increasing the PSII energy dissipation and incrementing the FSI efficiency. However, it resulted in losses of biomass production and decrease of the stomata size. The excess of Cu also activated the antioxidant system, particularly in roots. This behavior is related to the immobilization mechanism of this element in root tissue. Independent of the Cu concentration (T2 and T4), the increase of Zn was toxic to plants which showed nutritional disturbances with reduced nutrients absorption and transport, and biomass reduction. Thus, this increase unleashed oxidative stress and membrane damage with increased antioxidant enzymes activity. In these conditions the roots also developed mechanisms for immobilization of micronutrients. However, further studies on the isolated physiological effects or in combination with nutrients are necessary to complete the current knowledge.