Nitrogen accumulation in three legumes and two cereals with emphasis on estimation of N2 fixation in the legumes by the natural 15N-abundance technique

Yoneyama, T and Nambiar, P T C and Lee, K K and Srinivasa Rao, B and Williams, J H (1990) Nitrogen accumulation in three legumes and two cereals with emphasis on estimation of N2 fixation in the legumes by the natural 15N-abundance technique. Biology and Fertility of Soils, 09 (01). pp. 25-30. ISSN 0178-2762

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Abstract

N accumulation and natural 15N abundance in three legumes (groundnuts, cowpeas, and soybeans) and in two cereals (sorghum and maize) were investigated over two seasons in Alfisols with and without N fertilization. Using the N uptake and natural 15N abundance of non-nodulating plants as the indication of N derived from soil and fertilizer, the per cent N derived from atmospheric N2 was calculated for nodulated plants. In the first experiment, the groundnut genotype contained 85% atmosphere-derived N, but the percentage decreased with N application. Estimates of atmosphere-derived N by the N-difference and 15N-abundance techniques gave identical results. The percentages of atmosphere-derived N estimated by the two methods at different stages of groundnut growth were also similar. In the second experiment, atmosphere-derived N was estimated in plants grown with 0–200 kg ha-1 applied N. The estimated atmosphere-derived N ranged from 42% to 61% for groundnuts from 33% to 77% for cowpeas, and from 24% to 48% for soybeans, depending on the amount of N applied. Inoculation with a Brady rhizobium strain increased the percentage of atmosphere derived N in soybean plants grown without any fertilizer N. The natural 15N abundance of sorghum and maize was very close to that of the non-nodulating groundnut, suggesting that these cereals can be used as reference plants in the estimation of atmosphere-derived N by the natural 15N-abundance method.

Item Type: Article
Divisions: UNSPECIFIED
CRP: UNSPECIFIED
Uncontrolled Keywords: N2 fixation, Natural 15N abundance, N-difference method, Atmosphere-derived N, Non-nodulating genotype, Cereals, Legumes
Subjects: Others > Cereals
Others > Legume Crops
Depositing User: Mr Ramesh K
Date Deposited: 29 Sep 2016 05:21
Last Modified: 24 May 2017 05:29
URI: http://oar.icrisat.org/id/eprint/9704
Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00335857
Projects: UNSPECIFIED
Funders: UNSPECIFIED
Acknowledgement: ICRISAT Journal Article No. 876
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