Distribution of Photosynthetic Pigments and Nitrate Nitrogen in the Leaves of Non-Traditional Fruit Crops as an Indicator of the Physiological State of Plants under the Conditions of Joint Cultivation

Abstract

The peculiarities of the accumulation of photosynthetic pigments and nitrate nitrogen in the leaves of Actinidia arguta (Sieboldet. Zucc.) Planch. ex Miq., Schisandra chinensis (Tucrz.) Bail., Malus domestica Borkh., Cornus mas L., Chaenomeles japonica (Thunb.) Lindl. ex Spach when grown in vegetation experiments with different ratios of the number of plants in containers, namely 50:50%, 33:67%, and 67:33%, were investigated. One-species plantings were used as a control. It was shown that the ratio between plants when grown together, affects the content of photosynthetic pigments and nitrate nitrogen in the leaves. Mixed plantings can reduce the concentration of photosynthetic pigments in the leaves of A. argutа. In mixed plantings, suppression of photosynthetic pigments in A. argutа leaves is observed, except for the variant with C. japonica. At the same time, a positive effect of actinidia was established for all other research cultures. When determining the compatibility of plants, the most indicative information is the ratio of the amount of chlorophylls to carotenoids. The opposite pattern was revealed between the content of photosynthetic pigments and nitrate nitrogen in the leaves of experimental crops. According to modern ideas, the biosynthesis of photosynthetic pigments should increase with a decrease in the concentration of nitrate nitrogen in the leaves, which was confirmed in our experiments. These results can be used in further allelopathic, physiological, and ecological investigations of different fruit plants.