Summary
Mineral nitrogen did not increase grain yield and seed protein levels ofVicia faba L. andLupinus luteus L. in field trials and pot experiments. Fixed N2 was substituted by mineral nitrogen in these cases because of inhibition of N2 fixation by mineral nitrogen. Contrary to these results mineral nitrogen increased grain yields and seed protein amounts ofLupinus albus L.,Pisum sativum L., andGlycine max. (L.) Merr. The nitrogen effect was caused at an early stage by saving energy due to inhibition of N2 fixation (measurement of gas exchange by means of IRGA). In case of the N application after flowering grain, yields and seed protein levels increased because the mineral N was an additional nitrogen source for plants. At this stage the plants had ceased fixing atmospheric nitrogen. The high sink activity of growing fruits induced a lack of assimilates in nodules (determined by means of14CO2 application). The N effect was therefore the consequence of the lower assimilate pool for supplying root nodules in these plants in comparison withVicia faba L. andLupinus luteus L. Hence it follows that response to mineral nitrogen can be a criterion for discovering more effective Rhizobium-host combinations.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Abbreviations
- ATP:
-
adenosine triphosphate
- ADP:
-
adenosine diphosphate P1=inorganic phosphate
- Ni :
-
inorganic nitrogen at-%-15N-exc.=15N frequency as atom-%15N-excess
- 15N amount:
-
N amount at.%15N exc./100
References
Bothe H and Trebst A Eds. 1981 Biology of Inorganic Nitrogen and Sulphur. Springer Verlag, Berlin.
Bremner J M 1965 Inorganic forms of nitrogen.In Methods of Soil Analysis. Ed. C A Black. pp 1179–1232. American Society of Agronomy, Inc. Madison.
Faust H 1959 Untersuchungen über die Mineralstoffabgabe einjähriger Pflanzen. Ph. Thesis. Friedrich Schiller Univ. Jena (DDR).
Faust H, Bornhack H, Hirschberg K, Jung K, Junghans P and Krumbiegel P 198115N-Anwendung in der Biochemie, Landwirtschaft und Medizin. Schriftenreihe Anwendung von Isotopen und Kernstrahlungen in Wissenschaft und Technik 5. Isocommerz GmbH, Berlin.
Freye E 1981 Photosyntheseleistung und Assimilatverteilung bei Ackerbohnen (Vicia faba L.) als Grundlage zur Erklärung von Samenertragsschwankungen. Ph. Thesis. Martin Luther Univ. Halle-Wittenberg (DDR).
Hennecke H 1981 Regulation of nitrogenase biosynthesis in free-living and symbiotic N2-fixing bacteria: a comparison.In Biology of Inorganic Nitrogen and Sulfur. Eds. H Bothe and A Trebst. pp 309–316. Springer Verlag, Berlin.
Hess D 1981In vitro associations between non-legumes and rhizobium.In Biology of inorganic nitrogen and sulfur. Eds. H Bothe and A Trebst. pp 287–298. Springer Verlag, Berlin.
Kamata E 1957 Morphological and physiological study on nodule formation in soybeans. II. Relations between the foliar application of carbohydrates and nodule formation. Proc. Crop Sci. Soc. Japan 26, 58–60.
Kleiner D, Phillips S and Fitzke E 1981 Pathways and regulatory aspects of N2 and NH4 + assimilation in N2-fixing bacteria.In Biology of inorganic nitrogen and sulfur. Eds. H Bothe and A Trebst. pp 131–140. Springer Verlag, Berlin.
Merbach W 1978 Influence of N-fertilizing in the period of flowering on N-fractions ofLupinus albus L. seeds. Abh. AdW Berlin, Abt. Math, Naturwiss, Technik 4, 103–106.
Merbach W and Schilling G 1980 Wirksamkeit der symbiontischen N2-Fixierung der Körnerleguminosen in Abhängigkeit von Rhizobienimpflung, Substrat, N-Düngung und14C-Saccharoselieferung. Zbl. Bakt. II. Abt. 136, 98–118.
Reissmann R 1969 Untersuchungen über die stoffliche Verarbeitung zusätzlicher Mineralstickstoffmemgen durch die vegetativen Teile vonSinapsis alba L.,Helianthus annuus L. undTrifolium pratense L. Ph. Thesis. Friedrich Schiller Univ. Jena (DDR).
Schalldach I 1965 Untersuchungen über Stickstoffumsatz und-verwertung bei Leguminosen, durchgeführt mit15N-markierten Verbindungen beiPisum sativum L. Ph. Thesis. Friedrich Schiller Univ. Jena (DDR).
Schilling G 1971 Untersuchungen über die Ertragsbildung bei einjährigen Samenpflanzen. Mitt. Dt. Akad. Naturforscher Leopoldina. Reihe 3, 17, 99–114.
Schilling G 1980 Zur Ernährung der Pflanzen mit Luftstickstoff. Wiss. Fortschritt 30, 467–471.
Schilling G and Schalldach I 1966 Untersuchungen über Transport, Einbau and Verwertung spät gedüngten Mineralstickstoffs beiPisum sativum L. Albr. Thaer. Arch. 10, 895–907.
Schilling G, Schalldach I and Polz S 1967 Neue Ergebnisse über die N-Düngung zu Leguminosen, erzielt auf der Grundlage von Versuchen mit15N-markiertem NH4NO3. Wiss Z. Friedrich Schiller Univ. Jena, Math. Nat. Reihe 16, 385–389.
Scholz G, Richter J and Manteuffel R 1974 Studies of seed globulins from legumes. I. Separation and purification of legumin and vicilin fromVicia faba L. by zone precipitation. Biochem. Physiol. Pflanzen 166, 163–172.
Wong P P 1980 Nitrate and carbohydrate effects on nodulation and nitrogen fixation (acetylene reduction) activity of lentil (Lens esculenta Moench). Plant Physiol. 66, 78–81.
Phillips D A 1980 Efficiency of symbiotic nitrogen fixation in legumes. Annu. Rev. Plant Physiol. 31, 29–49.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Schilling, G. Genetic specificity of nitrogen nutrition in leguminous plants. Plant Soil 72, 321–334 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02181971
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02181971