Abstract
Foliar Cu concentration has been widely used as a biomarker of plant growth in phytotoxicity bioassays. This relation has helped find plant processes altered by Cu in dose-response experiments (a bivariate approach). However, when plants are grown in field conditions, their responses can vary in function of multiple variables, such as the environment, plant physiology, and other elements in plant (plant ionome). These sources of variability are commonly unreported, which could limit bioassays' utility. Thus, the present study aimed to assess and integrate the mentioned sources of variability on Cu phytotoxicity. Lettuce was used as plant model. Lettuces were grown in growth chambers with contrasting light and air humidity conditions and on two different field-contaminated soils (sandy and loamy soils). Results showed that environmental conditions significantly affected foliar Cu and plant growth, but this effect differed in the two studied soils. Foliar Cu was not a good biomarker of plant growth. In contrast, integrating the potential phytotoxicity effect with the plant's nutritional status allowed a better understanding of plant growth. We remarked on using a structural equation modeling approach (SEM) to integrate plant physiology and plant ionome as moderators of plant growth. Results showed that plant growth was primarily related to plant nutritional status rather than Cu phytotoxicity. Also, the foliar Cu concentration would affect plant nutritional status due to photosynthesis-related plant processes and cation balance. Finally, this research invites to state and include sources of variability when assessing phytotoxicity. This way, it is possible to advance toward understanding complex linked processes occurring in field conditions.
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Claims 7
Claim · model-written summary
Environmental conditions significantly affected foliar Cu in lettuce, with effects differing between soils.
- Taxon
- Lettuce
Lactuca sativae1 - Treatment
- environmental conditionse0
- Outcome
- foliar Cue0
- Qualifier
- this effect differed in the two studied soilse0
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“environmental conditions significantly affected foliar Cu and plant growth, but this effect differed in the two studied soils”
e1“Lettuce was used as plant model.”
Claim · model-written summary
Environmental conditions significantly affected lettuce growth, with effects differing between soils.
- Taxon
- LettuceLactuca sativae1
- Treatment
- environmental conditionse0
- Outcome
- plant growthe0
- Qualifier
- this effect differed in the two studied soilse0
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“environmental conditions significantly affected foliar Cu and plant growth, but this effect differed in the two studied soils”
e1“Lettuce was used as plant model.”
Claim · model-written summary
Foliar Cu was a poor biomarker of lettuce growth.
- Taxon
- LettuceLactuca sativae1
- Outcome
- biomarker of plant growthe0
- Qualifier
- Foliar Cue0
Not reportedComparatorValue
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Foliar Cu was not a good biomarker of plant growth.”
e1“Lettuce was used as plant model.”
Claim · model-written summary
Integrating potential phytotoxicity with nutritional status improved interpretation of lettuce growth.
- Taxon
- LettuceLactuca sativae1
- Outcome
- better understanding of plant growthe0
- Qualifier
- integrating the potential phytotoxicity effect with the plant's nutritional statuse0
Not reportedComparatorValue
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“integrating the potential phytotoxicity effect with the plant's nutritional status allowed a better understanding of plant growth”
e1“Lettuce was used as plant model.”
Claim · model-written summary
Lettuce growth was related primarily to nutritional status rather than Cu phytotoxicity.
- Taxon
- LettuceLactuca sativae1
- Compound
- Cue0
- Outcome
- plant growthe0
- Qualifier
- plant nutritional statuse0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“plant growth was primarily related to plant nutritional status rather than Cu phytotoxicity”
e1“Lettuce was used as plant model.”
Claim · model-written summary
Foliar Cu may affect lettuce nutritional status through photosynthesis-related processes and cation balance.
- Taxon
- LettuceLactuca sativae1
- Compound
- Cue0
- Outcome
- plant nutritional statuse0
- Qualifier
- photosynthesis-related plant processes and cation balancee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the foliar Cu concentration would affect plant nutritional status due to photosynthesis-related plant processes and cation balance”
e1“Lettuce was used as plant model.”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors recommend reporting sources of variability in phytotoxicity assessments.
- Taxon
- LettuceLactuca sativae1
- Outcome
- state and include sources of variability when assessing phytotoxicitye0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“this research invites to state and include sources of variability when assessing phytotoxicity”
e1“Lettuce was used as plant model.”