Table 5.

Effect of nitrate deprivation at different days before harvest (DBH) on nitrogen (N), and nitrate (${\mathrm{NO}}_{\mathrm{3}}^{\mathrm{-}}$), contents in leaves of cardoon plants (Cynara cardunculus L. var. altilis DC) harvested at different days after sowing (DAS); cardoon plants were grown in a floating system under greenhouse conditions (Experiment 2).

Nitrate deprivation	N (g kg-1 DW)			${\mathrm{NO}}_{\mathrm{3}}^{\mathrm{-}}$ (g kg-1 DW)
DBH	59 DAS	97 DAS	124 DAS	59 DAS	97 DAS	124 DAS
0	49.17	38.56	43.79	19.87	10.91	8.89
5	41.54	42.17	34.96	17.83	5.63	5.76
10	41.49	43.73	35.83	14.53	3.91	4.66
15	39.00	29.34	31.56	11.74	1.42	1.52
Significance	L*	Q*	L**	L***	L***	L***

L, linear; Q, quadratic; Ns, non-significant; *P < 0.05; **P < 0.01; ***P < 0.001.