Seasonal pattern of symbiotic nitrogen fixation in faba beans and its association with some physiological traits [Vicia faba]
1986
Osman, A.K. | Habib Ibrahim, H.E. | Saxena, M.C. (ICARDA, Aleppo (Syria))
The seasonal pattern of symbiotic nitrogen fixation in three faba bean (Vicia faba L.) cultivars, as measured by acetylene reduction and nitrogen content, and its association with some growth parameters were investigated in a greenhouse experiment at ICARDA in 1983. Genotypic differences in nitrogenase activity were apparent early in the season but became small with the start of pod filling. There was significant, positive correlation between leaf area and nitrogenase activity until the onset of flowering. Most of the growth parameters correlated better with plant nitrogen content than with nitrogenase activity. Nitrogen content and nitrogenase activity were highly correlated only in the linear phase of plant growth. There were no genotypic differences in relative growth rate or net assimilation rate and both were poorly correlated with nitrogenase activity and nitrogen content. However, early on, absolute growth rate was highly correlated with nitrogen content. Nitrogenase activity peaked shortly after pod initiation and up to this period most plant nitrogen was in the leaves. During seed filling a substantial amount of nitrogen was remobilized from the leaves and stems to pods. The implications of these results for faba bean crop improvement are discussed
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