Use of Omeprazole to increase the efficiency of N use by the cotton plant

• Grant number: 23/00914-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: May 01, 2023
• End date: April 30, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Soil Science
• Principal Investigator: Ciro Antonio Rosolem
• Grantee: Luciana Prieto Castanho
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas (FCA). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Nitrogen is the nutrient absorbed in the greatest amount by the cotton plant, and approximately 43% of the amount absorbed and exported from the production field. It happens that, due to the possibility of losses, the efficiency of use of nitrogen fertilizer has been low. Recently, studies have been released showing that the use of omeprazole, a drug that regulates the activity of the proton pump that acts on the absorption of nutrients, can increase the efficiency of use of omeprazole in some plant species, when applied to the nutrient solution. However, there are no data on the cotton crop, and it is still unknown whether the foliar application would have the same effect as when used in the nutrient solution. Thus, the present study intends to study the effect of the application of micromolar concentrations of omeprazole, via foliar route, on the absorption and use of N by cotton plants cultivated in sufficiency and nitrogen deficiency. For that, an experiment will be conducted in a greenhouse, in vases with soil fertilized and not fertilized with nitrogen. Plant growth and nitrate reductase activity with foliar application of omeprazole will be evaluated in relation to a control without application.