Abstract
Zinc (Zn) is an essential micronutrient for plant growth, serving as a co-factor in enzymatic processes and pigment biosynthesis. In horticultural crops such as lettuce, Zn fertilization is increasingly relevant for optimizing yield and nutritional quality. In this study, a greenhouse pot experiment was conducted using Lactuca sativa L. cv. Romana Verano (Ramiro Arnedo) to evaluate the effects of four Zn sources with contrasting physio-chemical properties-ZnSO4, a synthetic chelate containing DTPA, EDTA, and HEDTA, a Zn-lignosulphonate complex, and ZnO nanoparticles-applied to soil at rates of 15, 30, 60, and 120 mg Znkg-1. Morphometric traits, photosynthetic pigmentation, and photosystem performance were assessed to determine differences in plant response. Results showed that low to moderate Zn supply (15-60 mg Znkg-1) maintained growth, leaf number, stem diameter, and biomass without significant changes compared to the control. In contrast, the highest dose (120 mg Znkg-1), particularly in chelated forms, led to reductions in growth and yield exceeding 80%, reflecting supra-optimal effects. Although lignosulphonate and nanoparticles sources lowered soil Zn availability, they did not affect lettuce growth or yield, indicating their potential as safer agricultural alternatives to conventional Zn fertilizers. Photosynthetic efficiency, measured through chlorophyll fluorescence and electron transport activity, was positively modulated by adequate Zn levels but declined at excessive concentrations. These findings highlight that Zn efficiency strongly depends on its chemical form and applied dose, providing practical insights for optimizing Zn fertilization strategies in lettuce and other horticultural crops.
Abstract from the paper’s OpenAlex record; open copy licensed cc-by-nc-nd. Read at the source ↗
The text the model read, with the source record’s inline markup (italics, sub- and superscripts) rendered and its character entities decoded; quote offsets refer to the raw text.
Claims 8
Claim · model-written summary
Low to moderate Zn supply (15-60 mg Znkg-1) does not change growth, leaf number or stem diameter of lettuce compared to the control.
- Taxon
- Lactuca sativa L.
Lactuca sativat0 - Treatment
- low to moderate Zn supply (15-60 mg Znkg-1)e1
- Outcome
- growth, leaf number, stem diametere1
- Direction
- without significant changese1
- Comparator
- controle1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Lactuca sativa L.”
e1“Results showed that low to moderate Zn supply (15-60 mg Znkg-1) maintained growth, leaf number, stem diameter, and biomass without significant changes compared to the control”
Claim · model-written summary
Low to moderate Zn supply (15-60 mg Znkg-1) does not change lettuce biomass compared to the control.
- Taxon
- Lactuca sativa L.Lactuca sativat0
- Treatment
- low to moderate Zn supply (15-60 mg Znkg-1)e1
- Outcome
- biomasse1
- Direction
- without significant changese1
- Comparator
- controle1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Lactuca sativa L.”
e1“Results showed that low to moderate Zn supply (15-60 mg Znkg-1) maintained growth, leaf number, stem diameter, and biomass without significant changes compared to the control”
Claim · model-written summary
The highest Zn dose (120 mg Znkg-1), particularly in chelated forms, reduces lettuce growth and yield by more than 80% relative to the control.
- Taxon
- Lactuca sativa L.Lactuca sativat0
- Treatment
- highest dose (120 mg Znkg-1), particularly in chelated formse2
- Outcome
- growth and yielde2
- Direction
- reductionse2
- Value
- exceeding 80%e2
- Qualifier
- reflecting supra-optimal effectse2
- Comparator
- controle1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Lactuca sativa L.”
e1“Results showed that low to moderate Zn supply (15-60 mg Znkg-1) maintained growth, leaf number, stem diameter, and biomass without significant changes compared to the control”
e2“In contrast, the highest dose (120 mg Znkg-1), particularly in chelated forms, led to reductions in growth and yield exceeding 80%, reflecting supra-optimal effects”
Claim · model-written summary
Lignosulphonate and nanoparticles Zn sources lower soil Zn availability.
- Taxon
- Lactuca sativa L.Lactuca sativat0
- Treatment
- lignosulphonate and nanoparticles sourcese3
- Outcome
- soil Zn availabilitye3
- Direction
- lowerede3
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Lactuca sativa L.”
e3“Although lignosulphonate and nanoparticles sources lowered soil Zn availability, they did not affect lettuce growth or yield, indicating their potential as safer agricultural alternatives to conventional Zn fertilizers”
Claim · model-written summary
Lignosulphonate and nanoparticles Zn sources do not affect lettuce growth or yield.
- Taxon
- Lactuca sativa L.Lactuca sativat0
- Treatment
- lignosulphonate and nanoparticles sourcese3
- Outcome
- growth or yielde3
- Direction
- did not affecte3
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Lactuca sativa L.”
e3“Although lignosulphonate and nanoparticles sources lowered soil Zn availability, they did not affect lettuce growth or yield, indicating their potential as safer agricultural alternatives to conventional Zn fertilizers”
Claim · model-written summary
Lignosulphonate and nanoparticles Zn sources are indicated as potentially safer agricultural alternatives to conventional Zn fertilizers.
- Taxon
- Lactuca sativa L.Lactuca sativat0
- Outcome
- potential as safer agricultural alternativese3
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Lactuca sativa L.”
e3“Although lignosulphonate and nanoparticles sources lowered soil Zn availability, they did not affect lettuce growth or yield, indicating their potential as safer agricultural alternatives to conventional Zn fertilizers”
Claim · model-written summary
Adequate Zn levels positively modulate photosynthetic efficiency of lettuce.
- Taxon
- Lactuca sativa L.Lactuca sativat0
- Treatment
- adequate Zn levelse4
- Outcome
- Photosynthetic efficiencye4
- Direction
- positively modulatede4
- Qualifier
- measured through chlorophyll fluorescence and electron transport activitye4
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Lactuca sativa L.”
e4“Photosynthetic efficiency, measured through chlorophyll fluorescence and electron transport activity, was positively modulated by adequate Zn levels but declined at excessive concentrations”
Claim · model-written summary
Excessive Zn concentrations decrease photosynthetic efficiency of lettuce.
- Taxon
- Lactuca sativa L.Lactuca sativat0
- Treatment
- excessive concentrationse4
- Outcome
- Photosynthetic efficiencye4
- Direction
- declinede4
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Lactuca sativa L.”
e4“Photosynthetic efficiency, measured through chlorophyll fluorescence and electron transport activity, was positively modulated by adequate Zn levels but declined at excessive concentrations”
The same questions in other papers
zinc atom · growth · Lactuca sativa (garden lettuce)Results differ
7 papers in the same direction as this paper · 7 in the opposite direction
- positive
- positive
- positive
11 papers more in this group
See all 15 papers →zinc atom · physiology: photosynthesis · Lactuca sativa (garden lettuce)Positive and negative results
2 in the opposite direction
- no effect
- negative
nanoparticle · yield · Lactuca sativa (garden lettuce)Positive and negative results
4 in the opposite direction
- positive
- positive
- positive
1 paper more in this group
See all 5 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.