Mitigating ammonium toxicity in strawberry cultivation: effective fertilization practices for sustainable crop production

Abstract Nitrogen is crucial for plant growth, but deficiency and excess can harm plants. Fertilizers like Diammonium Phosphate (DAP), which releases ammonium (NH4 +), are common, yet over-application can cause NH4 + toxicity, resulting in stunted roots and leaf damage. This study investigated the i...

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Main Authors: Ghulam Sarwar, Rutaba Noor, Tauseef Anwar, Huma Qureshi, Faizan Khalid, Muhammad Younus, Muhammad Waqar Hassan, Muhammad Sajid-ur-Rehman, Muhammad Tahir Naseem, Gadah Albasher, Mohammad Javed Ansari, Rana Tauqeer Ahmad
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-02-01
Series:BMC Plant Biology
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-025-06269-4
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author Ghulam Sarwar
Rutaba Noor
Tauseef Anwar
Huma Qureshi
Faizan Khalid
Muhammad Younus
Muhammad Waqar Hassan
Muhammad Sajid-ur-Rehman
Muhammad Tahir Naseem
Gadah Albasher
Mohammad Javed Ansari
Rana Tauqeer Ahmad
author_facet Ghulam Sarwar
Rutaba Noor
Tauseef Anwar
Huma Qureshi
Faizan Khalid
Muhammad Younus
Muhammad Waqar Hassan
Muhammad Sajid-ur-Rehman
Muhammad Tahir Naseem
Gadah Albasher
Mohammad Javed Ansari
Rana Tauqeer Ahmad
author_sort Ghulam Sarwar
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Nitrogen is crucial for plant growth, but deficiency and excess can harm plants. Fertilizers like Diammonium Phosphate (DAP), which releases ammonium (NH4 +), are common, yet over-application can cause NH4 + toxicity, resulting in stunted roots and leaf damage. This study investigated the impact of NH4 + toxicity on strawberry growth, yield, and fruit quality to inform better fertilization practices. The experiment was conducted at The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Pakistan. Five treatments with varying DAP rates (0 g, 4 g, 7 g, 10 g, and 13 g per plant) were applied to strawberry plants in a completely randomized design with four replications. Photosynthetic pigments, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), malondialdehyde (MDA), electrolyte leakage (EL), and yield parameters were measured. The 4 g DAP treatment yielded the highest chlorophyll-a (0.5775 mg/g FW) and total chlorophyll content (0.705 mg/g FW). However, increasing DAP doses led to a decline in chlorophyll-a, chlorophyll-b, and total chlorophyll content, with the 13 g DAP treatment exhibiting the lowest levels. H2O2 content increased with higher DAP doses, with the 13 g DAP treatment showing the highest value (75 µmol/g FW). Higher DAP doses also increased MDA content and EL, indicating oxidative stress and membrane damage. The 4 g DAP treatment showed minimal changes in H2O2 and MDA content. Moderate DAP levels (4 g per plant) enhanced strawberry growth, yield, and photosynthetic activity, while higher doses caused significant stress, leading to reduced growth and yield. Managing NH4 + levels in fertilization is crucial for optimizing strawberry production. Therefore, moderate doses of DAP (ammonium ion) should be used to avoid ammonium toxicity.
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spelling doaj-art-72254d0c03c54b409d4d13e734ab8dc22025-08-20T02:01:35ZengBMCBMC Plant Biology1471-22292025-02-0125111310.1186/s12870-025-06269-4Mitigating ammonium toxicity in strawberry cultivation: effective fertilization practices for sustainable crop productionGhulam Sarwar0Rutaba Noor1Tauseef Anwar2Huma Qureshi3Faizan Khalid4Muhammad Younus5Muhammad Waqar Hassan6Muhammad Sajid-ur-Rehman7Muhammad Tahir Naseem8Gadah Albasher9Mohammad Javed Ansari10Rana Tauqeer Ahmad11Department of Botany, The Islamia University of BahawalpurDepartment of Botany, The Islamia University of BahawalpurDepartment of Botany, The Islamia University of BahawalpurDepartment of Botany, University of ChakwalDepartment of Botany, The Islamia University of BahawalpurDepartment of Pharmacognosy, The Islamia University of BahawalpurDepartment of Entomology, The Islamia University of BahawalpurDepartment of Pharmacognosy, The Islamia University of BahawalpurDepartment of Electronic Engineering, Yeungnam UniversityDepartment of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud UniversityDepartment of Botany, Hindu College Moradabad (MJP Rohilkhand University Bareilly)Regional Agriculture Research InstituteAbstract Nitrogen is crucial for plant growth, but deficiency and excess can harm plants. Fertilizers like Diammonium Phosphate (DAP), which releases ammonium (NH4 +), are common, yet over-application can cause NH4 + toxicity, resulting in stunted roots and leaf damage. This study investigated the impact of NH4 + toxicity on strawberry growth, yield, and fruit quality to inform better fertilization practices. The experiment was conducted at The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Pakistan. Five treatments with varying DAP rates (0 g, 4 g, 7 g, 10 g, and 13 g per plant) were applied to strawberry plants in a completely randomized design with four replications. Photosynthetic pigments, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), malondialdehyde (MDA), electrolyte leakage (EL), and yield parameters were measured. The 4 g DAP treatment yielded the highest chlorophyll-a (0.5775 mg/g FW) and total chlorophyll content (0.705 mg/g FW). However, increasing DAP doses led to a decline in chlorophyll-a, chlorophyll-b, and total chlorophyll content, with the 13 g DAP treatment exhibiting the lowest levels. H2O2 content increased with higher DAP doses, with the 13 g DAP treatment showing the highest value (75 µmol/g FW). Higher DAP doses also increased MDA content and EL, indicating oxidative stress and membrane damage. The 4 g DAP treatment showed minimal changes in H2O2 and MDA content. Moderate DAP levels (4 g per plant) enhanced strawberry growth, yield, and photosynthetic activity, while higher doses caused significant stress, leading to reduced growth and yield. Managing NH4 + levels in fertilization is crucial for optimizing strawberry production. Therefore, moderate doses of DAP (ammonium ion) should be used to avoid ammonium toxicity.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-025-06269-4Ammonium toxicityDiammonium phosphateElectrolyte leakageFertilization managementNutrient homeostasisOxidative stress
spellingShingle Ghulam Sarwar
Rutaba Noor
Tauseef Anwar
Huma Qureshi
Faizan Khalid
Muhammad Younus
Muhammad Waqar Hassan
Muhammad Sajid-ur-Rehman
Muhammad Tahir Naseem
Gadah Albasher
Mohammad Javed Ansari
Rana Tauqeer Ahmad
Mitigating ammonium toxicity in strawberry cultivation: effective fertilization practices for sustainable crop production
BMC Plant Biology
Ammonium toxicity
Diammonium phosphate
Electrolyte leakage
Fertilization management
Nutrient homeostasis
Oxidative stress
title Mitigating ammonium toxicity in strawberry cultivation: effective fertilization practices for sustainable crop production
title_full Mitigating ammonium toxicity in strawberry cultivation: effective fertilization practices for sustainable crop production
title_fullStr Mitigating ammonium toxicity in strawberry cultivation: effective fertilization practices for sustainable crop production
title_full_unstemmed Mitigating ammonium toxicity in strawberry cultivation: effective fertilization practices for sustainable crop production
title_short Mitigating ammonium toxicity in strawberry cultivation: effective fertilization practices for sustainable crop production
title_sort mitigating ammonium toxicity in strawberry cultivation effective fertilization practices for sustainable crop production
topic Ammonium toxicity
Diammonium phosphate
Electrolyte leakage
Fertilization management
Nutrient homeostasis
Oxidative stress
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-025-06269-4
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