Abstract
Lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus L.) cultivars vary widely in their growth habit and seed size. Preliminary experiments indicated that a large-seeded pole cultivar (King of the Garden) formed many more nodules than a small-seeded bush cultivar (Henderson). The relative importance of seed size and shoot mass in determining nodule number and mass was assessed in five lima bean cultivars differing in seed size and growth habit. Between cultivars, significant positive correlations between initial seed mass, plant weight and nodule number and mass were observed during the first four weeks after planting. Comparisons within cultivars indicated a strong correlation between nodule mass and shoot dry weight. The influence of plant morphology on nodule formation and mass was secondary to the effects of seed and shoot mass. As plants matured, the increase in nodule mass paralleled the increase in plant mass, while nodule number was relatively stable after day 18. These results suggest that the highly regulated process of nodule formation was under the influence of seed derived factors, while the continued accumulation of nodule tissue was related to shoot growth.
Similar content being viewed by others
Abbreviations
- DAP:
-
days after planting
- DW:
-
dry weight
- FW:
-
fresh weight
- KOG:
-
cultivar King of the Garden
References
Atkins C, Pate J S, Sanford P J, Dakora F D and Matthews I 1989 Nitrogen nutrition of nodules in relation to ‘N-hunger’ in cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp). Plant Physiol. 90, 1644–1649.
Burris J S, Edje O T and Wahab A H 1973 Effects of seed size on seedling performance in soybeans. II Seedling growth and photosynthesis and field performance. Crop Sci. 13, 207–210.
Caetano-Anolles G, Lagares A and Bauer W D 1990Rhizobium meliloti exopolysaccharide mutants elicit feedback regulation of nodule formation in alfalfa. Plant Physiol. 91, 368–374.
Clark B E and Peck N H 1968 Relationship between the size and performance of snap bean seeds. New York St. Agr. Exp. Stn. Bull. 819, 1–14.
Dobert R C, Rood S B and Blevins D G 1992 Gibberellins and theRhizobium-legume symbiosis. I. Endogenous gibberellins of lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus L.) stems and nodules. Plant Physiol. 98, 221–224.
Evers G W 1982 Seedling growth and nodulation of arrow-leaf, crimson and subterranean clover. Agron. J. 74, 629–632.
Graham P H 1981 Some problems of nodulation an symbiotic nitrogen fixation inPhaseolus vulgaris L.: A review. Field Crop Res. 4, 93–112.
Graham P H and Rosas J C 1977 Growth and development of indeterminate bush and climbing cultivars ofPhaseolus vulgaris L. inoculated withRhizobium. J. Agric. Sci. 88, 503–508.
Hopper N W, Overholt J R and Martin J R 1979 Effect of cultivar, temperature and seed size on the germination and emergence of soya beans (Glycine max (L.) Merr). Ann. Bot. 44, 301–308.
Hoy D J and Gamble E F 1985 The effects of seed size and seed density on germination and vigor in soybean (Glycin max (L.) Merr). Can. J. Plant Sci. 65, 1–8.
Kosslak R M and Bohlool B B 1984 Suppression of nodule development of one side of a split-root system of soybeans caused by prior inoculation of the other side. Plant Physiol. 75, 125–130.
Lush W M and Wien H C 1980 The importance of seed size in early growth of wild and domesticated cowpeas. J. Agric. Sci. 94, 177–182.
Mackie W W 1943 Origin, dispersal, and variability of the lima bean,Phaseolus lunatus. Hilgardia 15, 1–24.
Malik N S A, Pence M K, Calvert H E and Bauer W D 1984Rhizobium infection and nodule development in soybean are affected by exposure of the cotyledons to light. Plant Physiol. 75, 90–94.
Morrison S L and Baird L M 1987 Relationship of plant development to nodulation in determinate and indeterminate beans. J. Am. Soc. Hortic. Sci. 112, 510–513.
Nakaseko K and Gotoh K 1982 Comparative studies on dry matter production, plant type and productivity in soybean, azuki bean and kidney bean. VI. Differences in the early vegetative growth on relation to seed weight and character of cotyledon. Jap. J. Crop. Sci. 51, 117–125.
Pacovsky R S, Bayne H G and Bethlenfalvay G J 1984 Symbiotic interactions between strain ofRhizobium phaseoli and cultivars ofPhaseolus vulgaris L. Crop Sci. 24, 101–105.
Peat J R, Summerfield R J, Jeffcoat B and Minchin F R 1981 The role of cotyledons in vegetative growth and nitrogen assimilation by soya bean. Ann. Bot. 48, 183–187.
Phillips D A 1971 A cotyledonary inhibitor of root nodulation inPisum sativum. Plant Physiol. 25, 482–487.
Rodriguez A A 1987 Seed quality influence on nitrogen fixation of red field bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). Ph.D. thesis. Ohio State University, Columbus.
Rolfe B G and Gresshoff P M 1988 Genetic analysis of legume nodule initiation. Ann. Rev. Plant Physiol. Mol. Biol. 39, 297–319.
Rosas J C and Bliss F A 1986 Host plant traits associated with estimates of nodulation and nitrogen fixation in common bean. HortScience 21, 287–289.
Sangakkara U R 1989 Relationship between seed characters, plant growth and yield parameters ofPhaseolus vulgaris. J Agron. Crop Sci. 163, 105–108.
Sargent L, Huang S Z, Rolfe B G and Djordjevic M A 1983 Split-root assays usingTrifolium subteranneum show thatRhizobium infection induces a systemic response that can inhibit nodulation of another invasiveRhizobium strain. App. Environ. Micobiol. 53, 1611–1619.
SAS Institute 1982 SAS User's Guide: Statistics. SAS Institute, Inc. Cary, NC.
Smith R S and Ellis M A 1980 Soybean nodulation as influenced by seedling vigor. Agron., J. 72, 605–608.
Vincent J M 1970 A Manual for the practical Study of Root-Nodule Bacteria. IBP Handbook no. 15. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford. 145 p.
Wood D W, Longden P C and Scott R K 1977 Seed size variation: Its extent, source and significance in field crops. Seed Sci. Technol. 5, 337–352.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Dobert, R.C., Blevins, D.G. Effect of seed size and plant growth on nodulation and nodule development in lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus L.). Plant Soil 148, 11–19 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02185380
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02185380