Suppression of Nitrate Accumulation in Lettuce by Application of Mg and Micronutrients

High rates of nitrogen fertilization dangerously increase the nitrate content of vegetable crops, and the accumulation of nitrate in edible crops is undesirable because of potential risks to human health. Micronutrient solution containing Cu, Mn, Mo, Zn was tested for the suppression of nitrate accumulation in lettuce grown in pots treated with Mg fertilizer under a greenhouse condition. The micronutrient solution was sprayed on leaves at 3 and 4 weeks after transplanting of 20-day old seedlings. Plants were harvested after 5-week growth, and yield, contents of chlorophyll, sugar, micronutrient and nitrate, and also nitrate reductase activity were measured. Fresh weight of lettuce was significantly increased by the application of Mg and micronutrients, and the effect was the most significant in the Mg+micronutrient treatment. Also contents of chlorophyll and micronutrients were higher in the plants of micronutrient treatments. Contents of nitrate were reduced by about 14-18% in lettuce with Mg and/or micronutrient applications. Compared to the plants of control treatment, nitrate reductase activity was also higher in those plants treated with micronutrients, and in the treatment of Mg+micronutrients the enzyme activity was six times as high as that of control treatment. Although the effect of mineral nutrients on the suppression of nitrate accumulation in lettuce was relatively small in this study, an appropriate supply of mineral nutrients could be one of the solutions for the nitrate accumulation in vegetables.