Fertiliser And Soil Moisture Regulation Mitigates Waterlogging Stress Injury Of Zanthoxylum Armatum Seedlings In Potted Condition

Background of the study - Chinese prickly ash cultivation is an important way to increase farmers' income in economically backward areas in southwest China. However, the rainy summers in this area easily lead to waterlogging stress, which further affects the growth of Chinese prickly ash. Objectives - The study will provide a reference for water and fertiliser management in the cultivation of Zanthoxylum armatum. Objectives - The study will provide a reference for water and fertiliser management in the cultivation of Zanthoxylum armatum. Methods - Z. armatum seedlings were used as experimental material, the orthogonal design of four factors and four levels was adopted (field capacity moisture content (FCMC): 20, 40, 60 and 80%; urea: 0, 75, 150 and 300 kg N ha(-1); phosphorus: 0, 30, 60 and 120 kg P2O5 ha(-1); potassium sulphate: 0, 75, 150 and 300 kg K2O ha(-1)). After 90 days of water and fertiliser treatment, the potted plants were subjected to 5 days of waterlogging stress. Antioxidant enzyme activity, plasma membrane permeability, osmotic substance content, appearance phenotype and plant recovery after drainage were measured. The waterlogging resistance of plants under different water and fertiliser treatments was evaluated. Results - Water and fertiliser treatment significantly promoted the growth of basal diameter and seedling height. Only T12 (60% FCMC + N-300 P30K0) showed no damage under waterlogging stress. After 5 days of drainage, the plant phenotype was recovered only in T8, T9, T10, T11 and T12. The SOD activity, the MDA content, the proline content and the relative conductivity increased, while the activities of CAT and POD and the soluble sugar and soluble protein levels of leaves in Z. armatum seedlings increased first and then decreased with increasing waterlogging time (P< 0.05); T12 had the strongest waterlogging resistance. Conclusions - The appropriate soil moisture content (60% FCMC) and fertiliser application (N300P30K0) had significant effects on promoting the growth and the waterlogging resistance of Z. armatum seedlings under pot experiment.