EFFECT OF MINERAL DEFICIENCY ON MORPHOLOGICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS AND ON SHOOT AND ROOT MINERAL PARTITIONING IN THREE SUNFLOWER VARIETIES / EFECTO DE LA FALTA DE ELEMENTOS MINERALAS SOBRE LOS PARAMENTROS MORFOLOGICOS Y FISIOLOGICOS Y REPARTICION DE ELEMENTOS MINERALES DE LA PARTE SOBRE EL SUELO Y DE LA RAIZ EN TRES VARIEDADES / INFLUENCE DE LA CARENCE D’ÉLÉMENTS MINÉRAUX SUR LES PARAMÈTRES MORPHOLOGIQUES ET PHYSIOLOGIQUES ET SUR LA DISTRIBUTION DES ÉLÉMENTS MINÉRAUX ENTRE LA PARTIE AÉRIENNE ET LA RACINE POUR TROIS SORTES DE TOURNESOL
SUMMARYAn experiment has been carried out in order to study the behaviour under mineral deficiency of three sunflower genotypes, a population variety (Oro 9) and two hybrids (Mirasol and Albena). Sunflower seedlings were submitted to five treatments: N deficiency (N0), P deficiency (P0), K deficiency (K0), N and K deficiency (N0K0) and a control. Plants were harvested when they reached 3-4 true pairs of leaves. Growth parameters measured (height, total leaf area, root length, root and shoot dry mater) were all significantly reduced by mineral deficiency. Leaf area was most reduced by N0 (-61%) and P0 (-56%). Total dry matter was most affected by N0 (-63%) and by N0K0 (-66%). Genotype comparisons showed that Oro 9 had the highest shoot dry matter while Albena had the lowest root dry matter. Effect of mineral deficiency on content and partitioning of N, P, K, Ca and Na was significant and varied according to treatments and among plant parts. Shoot dry weight was significantly correlated with root N content (r2=0.81) and root K content (r2=-0.61) for N0 and K0.