The role of titanium in biomass production and its influence on essential elements' contents in field growing crops

Abstract

The role of titanium (Ti) in plant metabolism is not so far fully clear. Many positive beneficial effects as well as a few adverse effects of Ti application are described in literature. The objective of our study was to investigate the effects of Ti foliar applications alone or in combination with Mg on the yield and accumulation of essential cations in consumable portions of frequently grown agricultural crops (potatoes, winter wheat and spring barley) grown under reduced and optimum nitrogen availability in field conditions. Nitrogen side dress fertilization significantly affected the investigated parameters, especially yield and N content. The effect of foliar Ti applications was substantially influenced by the nutrient N status of the individual plants. The plant response to Ti applications was almost negligible under N deficiency. At N treated plots the responses were much clearer but not many significant differences were found confirming high soil buffering capacity and many counteracting effects under field conditions.