The effect of phosphorus on the growth and chemical composition of some tropical pasture legumes. II. Nitrogen, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and sodium contents

Abstract

This paper describes the effect of phosphorus on nitrogen concentration and on the total and individual concentrations of the cations calcium, magnesium, potassium, and sodium in the plant tops of 10 tropical legumes and one temperate legume when grown on two soils of different type, a light-textured solodic soil and a gley soil. Species used were Phaseolus lathyroides, P. atropurpureus, Stylosanthes humilis, Centrosema pubescens, Glycine javanica, Lotononis bainesii, Medicago sativa, Desmodium uncinatum, D. intortum, Vigna luteola, and Leucaena leucocephala. The nitrogen concentrations in the plant tops were increased by phosphorus supply, and good correlations were established between the nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations in the plant tops. When sodium dihydrogen phosphate was used as the source of phosphate, the sodium concentration in V. luteola, M. sativa, and L. bainesii was increased. Other species were not affected. Increasing phosphate supply as monocalcium phosphate had little effect on plant calcium concentration, but brought about an increase of magnesium in P. lathyroides and P. atropurpureus. In the solodic soil particularly, increases in phosphate supply in most species caused reductions in the potassium concentration, partly compensated by increases in the magnesium and calcium concentrations. Concentrations of the cations in the plants reflected the soil exchangeable cation composition. Plant species differed in their cation status. P. atropurpureus and P. lathyroides were relatively high in magnesium, L. bainesii and D. intortum in potassium, V. luteola, L. bainesii, M. sativa, and P. lathyroides in sodium, and C. pubescens and S. humilis in calcium.

Leucaena leucocephala(lam.) de wit as a forage plant ‐ A review

“…On acid soils, applications of phosphatic fertilizers increased yields (3,17,96,107,115). Magnesium has been found to be important for nitrogen fixation (84,85) and nodulation has been found to be affected by trace elements such as boron, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum and zinc (31,60,85,133).…”

EFFECT OF ENDOGONE MYCORRHIZA ON PLANT GROWTH VII. INFLUENCE OF INFECTION ON THE GROWTH AND NODULATION IN FRENCH BEAN (PHASEOLUS VULGARIS)

“…Tropical legumes (Andrew and Robins, 1969) and subterranean clover in Australia (Watson, 1969) and in New Zealand (Jones, Oh and Ruckman, 1970) responded to the addition of soluble phosphorus. The yields of grain legumes in India (Prased, Bhendia and Bains, 1963) and of Glycine javanica in Brazil (Souto and Dobereiner, 1968) were greater after fertilizing with phosphorus.…”

Energy Status and Functioning of Phosphorus-Deficient Soybean Nodules

“…These ATP concentration and energy charge measurements indicate that P deficiency impaired oxidative phosphorylation in the plant cell fraction of nodules to a much greater extent than in the bacteroids. The concurrence of significant changes in specific nitrogenase activity (2 days) and in the energy charge (2 days) and ATP concentration (4 days) in the plant cell fraction during recovery from extemal P limitation is consistent with the conclusion that P deficiency decreases the specific nitrogenase activity by inhibiting an energy-dependent reaction(s) in the plant cell fraction of the nodules.An improvement in P status of several legumes solely dependent on symbiotic N2 fixation has been reported to increase tissue N concentrations as well as overall host plant growth (1,14,27). This response results from symbiotic N2 fixation being stimulated to a greater degree by improvement in P nutrition than by host plant growth.…”

“…An improvement in P status of several legumes solely dependent on symbiotic N2 fixation has been reported to increase tissue N concentrations as well as overall host plant growth (1,14,27). This response results from symbiotic N2 fixation being stimulated to a greater degree by improvement in P nutrition than by host plant growth.…”