Manganese Stresses and Mineral Nutrition of Cucumber Plants

Abstract

Cucumber plants in the vegetative phase of growth received deficient, sufficient, or toxic treatment of manganese (Mn) during a 15-day period beginning 43 days after germination. Deficiency and toxicity of manganese both supressed accumulation of fresh and dry weight. Stem length, number of leaves, and number of seconday meristems per plant were not significantly different among Mn treatments. Manganese-deficient plants accumulated less manganese and nitrogen but more copper and iron, and about the same amount of zinc, phosphorus, and potassium as the Mn-sufficient plants. Manganese toxicity caused cucumber plants to accumulate less copper, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, but more manganese, and about the same amounts of iron and zinc as the Mn-sufficient plants.