skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide interact to injure horticultural and agronomic crops

Journal Article · · HortScience; (United States)
OSTI ID:5262599

Six horticultural and agronomic crops were exposed for 4 hours to nitrogen dioxide (NO/sub 2/) and/or sulfur dioxide (SO/sub 2/) in greenhouse exposure chambers. Concentrations of NO/sub 2/ in excess of 200 pphm and concentrations of SO/sub 2/ in excess of 50 pphm were required to cause injury. Plant injury developed when the gases were mixed together in the concentration ranges of 5-25 pphm of both gases. Injury from either NO/sub 2/ or SO/sub 2/ acting alone appeared as a marginal and interveinal bifacial necrosis. The injury produced by the mixture of the two gases developed as chlorotic and necrotic flecking on the upper leaf surface of the interveinal areas of tomato, radish, oats, and tobacco. Reddish-brown pigmented lesions developed on pinto bean and soybean. Lower leaf surface injury frequently occurred in mixed gas fumigations with little or no upper surface injury. Upper leaf surface injury on all plants was similar to ozone injury. The low concentrations of these gases causing phytotoxicity implies that this interaction could be important in causing plant injury in the field.

Research Organization:
NAPCA, Raleigh, NC
OSTI ID:
5262599
Journal Information:
HortScience; (United States), Vol. 5:4
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English