A. A. Betekhtina, A. V. Malakheeva, G. G. Borisova, O. V. Voropaeva, M. G. Maleva
Ural Federal University named after the first President of Russia B. N. Yeltsin, Ekaterinburg, Russia
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Volume 26 No. 2
Date of paper submission: 04.06.2025, date of review: 30.09.2025, date of acceptance: 08.12.2025.
Published: 02/28/2026
Abstract. The most important area of agricultural development is the identification of crop plants with root morphological parameters that ensure efficient nitrogen absorption from the soil. The purpose of the study was to assess the morphophysiological characteristics and the number of nitrogen cycle bacteria in the rhizosphere of two representatives of the genus Allium (A. сepa and A. sativum) grown "for greens" under nitrogen deficiency conditions. Methods. The morphophysiological characteristics of model plant species grown for 72 days under natural light and room temperature on a low-fertility substrate were studied both with double application of ammonium nitrate (30 mg N/kg of soil) and in the absence of nitrogen fertilizer. A quantitative assessment of the nitrogen cycle bacteria isolated from the rhizosphere of model crops was performed. Results. Under conditions of limited nitrogen nutrition, A. сepa and A. sativum were characterized by lower biomass (on average 3.5 times), reduced content of photosynthetic pigments (1.7 times) and total nitrogen (1.6 times) compared to plants grown with its addition. The introduction of N increased the radius of the root and stele of lateral roots, the thickness of the bark parenchyma and the number of cell layers in it in A. sativum, unlike A. сepa, and contributed to its greater accumulation. In the rhizosphere of both plant species, nitrogen fixers predominated compared to ammonifiers and nitrifiers. At the same time, the number of denitrifiers in A. сepa was 14 times higher compared to A. sativum. Scientific novelty. For the first time the anatomical and morphological features of the lateral roots of A. сepa and A. sativum were studied under nitrogen deficiency conditions, and a quantitative assessment of the nitrogen cycle bacteria in the rhizosphere of these crops was performed. The revealed structural rearrangements of the lateral roots of A. sativum with a limited nitrogen content in the substrate contribute to more efficient absorption and accumulation of N in the biomass compared to A. сepa.
Keywords: onion, winter garlic, nitrogen cycle, plant biomass, photosynthetic pigments, lateral root structure, rhizosphere bacteria
Acknowledgements. The study was supported by Russian Science Foundation grant No. 24-26-00248, https://rscf. ru/project/24-26-00248/
For citation: Betekhtina A. A., Malakheeva A. V., Borisova G. G., Voropaeva O. V., Maleva M. G. Morphophysiological features of Allium cepa and Allium sativum when grown "for greens" under conditions of nitrogen deficiency. Agrarian Bulletin of the Urals. 2026; 26 (02): 207‒220. https://doi.org/10.32417/1997-4868-2026-26-02-207-220 (In Russ.)
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