Acid phosphatase activity in bean and cowpea plants grown under phosphorus stress

Abstract

The relationship between acid phosphatase activity (APA) and phosphorus (P) stress in two bean genotypes (Phaseolus vulgaris var Tacarigua and var Manuare) and in cowpea (Vigna unguiculata var TUY) are reported in this paper. Sand culture experiments were performed in a highly ventilated greenhouse where plants were drip feed with nutrient solutions with either 1.0 or 0.02 mM P.Acid phosphatase activity was determined in extracts from roots, young (apical) and mature leaves, and in leaf discs and root sections using o-carboxyphenyl phosphate as substrate. Differences in total dry matter were found to be significant (P = 0.01) only for cowpea. However, reduction in leaf area was significant in both species and varieties. Differences in the P concentration in the dry matter, were large enough to suspect that plants were suffering from a mild P stress. Acid phosphatase activity was above the values reported for these species under P stress, however, APA in these legumes appears not to be inducible by the low P-concentration level used in this study. A higher APA was found in young as compared to mature leaves, and the expression of APA also showed intraspecific variation. Acid phosphatase activity was related to the age of the leaves and was easily measured in leaf discs, specially for bean. This and the ratio of P 1. Present

Drought-induced changes in acid phosphatase activities in wheat in relationship with phosphorus

“…However, in endosperm, Apase activity was appeared to be independent of Pi level ( Figure 2C). These results are in general agreement with those reported by Szabo-Negy et al (1992) and Fernandez and Ascencio (1994). To further determine the role of APase activity, Figure 3A and B).…”

Root phosphatase activity, plant growth and phosphorus accumulation of maize genotypes

“…On the other hand, and Fernandez & Ascencio (1994) did not observe any relationship between leaf or root P-ase activity and P deficiency in bean, cowpea, pigeon pea and cotton plants.…”

“…However, positive as well as negative correlations have been demonstrated between leaf or root enzyme activity and P content in plants (Besford, 1978;1979;1980;Mc Lachlan & De Marco, 1982;Dracup et al, 1984;Elliot & Läuchli, 1986;Fernandez & Ascencio, 1994), or between P-ase activity and tolerance or susceptibility to P deficiency (Mc Lachlan 1980b;Silberbush et al, 1981;Furlani et al, 1984;Helal, 1990;Tadano et al, 1993). Nevertheless, the comparison of results is difficult because of the lack of sistematization and standardization of methods and criteria for the plant P-ase activity determination, in such way that, data of the literature are inconsistent or contradictory in relation to different species, different laboratory techniques and different plant part samples.…”

Acid phosphatase activity and leaf phosphorus content in soybean cultivars

“…This author observed in tomatoes, in which the unbalance of 15 nutrients was induced, that only P-deficiency caused an increase in leaf acid phosphatase, hence the suggestion that this enzyme might be used to detect P deficiency in these plants (Besford, 1979c). Several reports in the literature indicate that the acid phosphatase activity is correlated to P-concentrations in tissues of several plant species: Cucumis sativus L (Besford, 1978), Licopersicon esculentum Mill (Besford, 1979a;1979b), Triticum aestivum L (McLachlan, 1982), Oryza sativa L (Zaini & Mercado, 1985), Phaseolus vulgaris L. (Breseghelo et al, 1992), Saccharum officinarum L (Silva & Basso, 1993), Phaseolus vulgaris L and Vigna unguiculata L Walp (Fernandez & Ascencio, 1994), Cajanus cajan L and Gossypium hirsutum L , and Bactris gasipaes Kunth (Bovi et al, 1998). However, all of these works tested P doses, without taking into account the acid phosphatase activity, P-uptake and use efficiency for comparison of cultivars and or species, in only one soil fertility situation in terms of soil P availability.…”