Biological nitrogen fixation in soybean under water restriction and exposed to 1-methylcyclopropene

Vitor Camargo Do Nascimento Junior,Marco Antonio Nogueira,Cássio Egidio Cavenaghi Prete

doi:10.1590/s0100-204x2016000700004

Vitor Camargo Do Nascimento Junior, Marco Antonio Nogueira + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/s0100-204x2016000700004

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Abstract

Abstract: The objective of this work was to assess the effects of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) on traits related with biological nitrogen fixation on 'BRS 268' soybean (Glycine max) subjected to water restriction. Plants were either exposed to drought between 32 (R2) and 47 (R3) days after sowing (DAS) or kept well-watered, in combination with exposure or not to 1-MCP. On the second day under drought (34 DAS), plants from both water conditions were exposed to 1-MCP in a hermetically sealed chamber for 15 hours. Control plants, dry or well-watered, that were not exposed to 1-MCP were kept in a separate chamber. At 36 (R2) and 47 (R3) DAS, shoot and root dry weights, leaf area index, number and dry weight of nodules, total ureides in sap, and N concentration in leaves were assessed. From 47 DAS on, extra plants were well watered until physiological maturity (R8) and assessed for yield components. Water restriction increased ureides in sap and reduced N in leaves in R2; reduced the number and mass of nodules, shoot dry weight, and leaf area index in R3; and reduced the number of pods and seed mass of plants not exposed to 1-MCP. However, when plants are exposed to 1-MCP, there is an attenuation of water restriction effects.

Highlights

Drought is one of the main concerns in cropping systems, especially at critical stages of the plant cycle, such as the reproductive ones (Nascimento et al, 2011), and may lead to severe losses
The objective of this work was to assess the effects of 1‐methylcyclopropene (1‐MCP) on traits related to biological nitrogen fixation on 'BRS 268' soybean (Glycine max) subjected to water restriction
Considering the effect of water condition, water restriction increased the concentration of ureides in the sap of plants exposed to 1‐MCP, but decreased it in plants not exposed to the compound; under well‐watered conditions, the exposure to 1‐MCP decreased the concentration of ureides

Summary

Introduction

Drought is one of the main concerns in cropping systems, especially at critical stages of the plant cycle, such as the reproductive ones (Nascimento et al, 2011), and may lead to severe losses. Ethylene is known for acting in the ripening process, but it is produced by plants under stressing conditions, including drought, which leads to a cascade of events that result in senescence. Based on this information, the use of an inhibitor of ethylene might attenuate the effect of drought on plants. 1‐MCP is widely used to keep the quality and prolong the shelf life of climacteric and non‐climacteric fruits. It acts as an inhibitor of ethylene action, resulting in a delay of the maturation process (Li et al, 2016). 1‐MCP is employed to increase the shelf life of flowers after harvesting; the treatment with 1‐MCP, for example, delayed the senescence of roses in 19 days (De Pietro et al, 2010)

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