Investigating Nutrient Supply Effects on Plant Growth and Seed Nutrient Content in Common Bean.

Millicent R Smith,Barbara Elias Reis Hodecker,Andrew Merchant,David Fuentes

doi:10.3390/plants11060737

Millicent R Smith, Barbara Elias Reis Hodecker + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11060737

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Journal: Plants (Basel, Switzerland)	Publication Date: Mar 10, 2022
Citations: 13	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: University of Sydney

Abstract

Low soil fertility commonly limits growth and yield production of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) in tropical regions. Impacts of nutrient limitations on production volume are well studied and are a major factor in reducing crop yields. This study characterised the impact of reduced nutrient supply on carbon assimilation and nutrient content of leaf, phloem sap and reproductive tissues of common bean grown in a controlled environment in order to detect chemical markers for changes in nutritional content. Leaf gas exchange measurements were undertaken over plant development to characterise changes to carbon assimilation under reduced nutrient supply. Samples of leaf, phloem sap and pod tissue of common bean were analysed for carbon isotope discrimination, mineral nutrient content, and amino acid concentration. Despite declines in nutrient availability leading to decreased carbon assimilation and reductions in yield, amino acid concentration was maintained in the pod tissue. Common bean can maintain the nutritional content of individual pods under varying nutrient availabilities demonstrating the resilience of processes determining the viability of reproductive tissues.

Highlights

Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), is the most important grain legume for human consumption [1] and a staple food for millions of people, primarily in tropical Latin America, South and East Africa [2]
The influence of low soil fertility on plant growth in common bean is well understood [7–9] and unlike other stresses, such as drought or disease, low soil fertility is an ongoing issue in tropical regions, irrespective of season [6,10]
We address the following hypothesis: (1) reduced nutrient supply will reduce plant gas exchange and that the magnitude of this reduction will increase over the course of development; (2) reduced nutrient supply will decrease yield volume; (3) reduced nutrient supply will alter the composition and decrease the concentration of metabolites in the leaf, phloem and pod soluble fractions and these will be consistent throughout development; (4) reduced nutrient supply will alter the composition, and decrease the concentration of metabolites in pod tissues and (5) and changes in total amino acid and mineral nutrients from digested pod samples will correspond to changes in soluble extracts of pod tissues

Summary

Introduction

Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), is the most important grain legume for human consumption [1] and a staple food for millions of people, primarily in tropical Latin America, South and East Africa [2]. The influence of low soil fertility on plant growth in common bean is well understood [7–9] and unlike other stresses, such as drought or disease, low soil fertility is an ongoing issue in tropical regions, irrespective of season [6,10]. Low soil fertility impacts on all aspects of plant growth including carbon assimilation [11], root formation [12], symbiotic nitrogen fixation [13,14] and yield [8]. The impact of low soil fertility on nutrient content, that of the seed, is less understood. This has important implications for the hundreds of millions of consumers who rely on common bean as a vital source of nutrients [1]

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