Abstract
The quality and amount of yellow lupine yield depend on water availability. Water scarcity negatively affects germination, flowering, and pod formation, and thus introduction of an artificial irrigation system is needed. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of irrigation on the quality of yellow lupine seeds. Raining was applied with a semi-solid device with sprinklers during periods of greatest water demand. It was shown that watered plants produced seeds of lesser quality, having smaller size and weight. To find out why seeds of irrigated plants were of poor quality, interdisciplinary research at the cellular level was carried out. DNA cytophotometry evidenced the presence of nuclei with lower polyploidy in the apical zone of mature seeds. This may lead to formation of smaller cells and reduce depositing of storage materials. The electrophoretic and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic analyses revealed differences in protein and cuticular wax profiles, while scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy revealed, among various chemical elements, decreased calcium content in one of seed zones (near plumule). Seeds from irrigated plants showed slightly higher germination dynamics but growth rate of seedlings was slightly lower. The studies showed that irrigation of lupine affected seed features and their chemical composition, an ability to germination and seedlings growth.
Highlights
Yellow lupine (Lupinus luteus L.) is a legume crop which has tremendous economic potential and is of great importance both in sustainable agriculture, in reclamation of marginal lands, and as a natural source of nitrogen it could be one of the main species cultivated for green fertilizer, seeds, food and feed
It increase the yield of follow-up crop, because the compounds stored in the tissues return to the soil from crop residues, remaining after the harvest or when lupine plants are intended for plowing as a green fertilizer [1,2,3,4,5]
Our research revealed that irrigation of lupine plants during their cultivation affected the chemical composition of developing seeds coat
Summary
Yellow lupine (Lupinus luteus L.) is a legume crop which has tremendous economic potential and is of great importance both in sustainable agriculture, in reclamation of marginal lands, and as a natural source of nitrogen it could be one of the main species cultivated for green fertilizer, seeds, food and feed. Developed pile root systems of lupine meliorate the soil, making its aeration and watering easier In this way, it improves the water-air ratio and makes the damaged soil structure (resulting e.g., from cereal monoculture) more crumbly. Its long roots take up ions of calcium, magnesium, potassium and phosphorus from deep layers of soil, inaccessible for other plant species It increase the yield of follow-up crop, because the compounds stored in the tissues (macro- and micronutrients) return to the soil from crop residues (such as roots or straw), remaining after the harvest or when lupine plants are intended for plowing as a green fertilizer [1,2,3,4,5]. Yellow lupine contains a large amount of high quality proteins in its seeds and negligible amounts of harmful, bitter alkaloids. They influence lipid and glucose metabolism as well as blood pressure. Yellow lupine seeds are abundant in the Fe-rich ferritin and may be a safe way to increase dietary iron intake replacing traditional iron supplementation methods [13]
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