Abstract
Phosphorus (P) is considered an elementary mineral nutrient for plants. Nevertheless, excessive or deficit supply to the crop may cause negative changes at the physiological level. Plants were cultivated in pots in a growth chamber under increasing P concentration (P1 (0.5 mmol/L (control treatment)), P2 (1 mmol/L); P3 (2 mmol/L); P4 (4 mmol/L); P5 (6 mmol/L), and P6 (8 mmol/L)) in the nutrient solution for 40 days. At the end of the experimental period, biomass, carbohydrates concentration, and enzymatic activities related to the synthesis and degradation of sucrose as well as the different fractions of P in different organs of the plant were assessed. The results obtained in this experiment reveal a decrease in biomass under increasing P supply. Fructose, glucose, sucrose, and starch concentrations were higher in the shoots compared to the roots. There were different trends in the roots and shoots in enzymatic activities related to sucrose. The increase in P dose increased the concentration of the different forms assessed for P in all the organs studied. Seed phytate concentration surpassed the threshold established by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) for green bean plants grown under P4, P5, and P6 treatments. Considering the results obtained, we suggest fertigation with a concentration of 2 mmol/L to obtain a higher productivity without excess of phytate in seeds.
Highlights
Green beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) are a legume with high relevance in human nutrition due to their high amounts of calories and proteins [1,2]
Green bean plants grown under P1 showed the highest value in roots, whereas plants grown under P3 and P4 showed the highest value in shoot and pod dry weight at the end of the experiment (Figure 1)
The increase in P dose in the nutrient solution supplied to green bean reduced shoot dry weight, and the highest values for shoot and pod dry weight were in green beans plants grown under P3 and P4 treatments
Summary
Green beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) are a legume with high relevance in human nutrition due to their high amounts of calories and proteins [1,2]. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) [3], at the worldwide level, the area harvested and the production quantity of green beans were 1,569,474 ha and 2,4765,555 t, respectively. Phosphate reserves for agriculture are running out, and at the agronomic level there are various aspects related to the soil and fertilization [4,5]. Phosphorus is a relevant macronutrient in a plant’s growth, ranging from 0.05 to 0.30% of the crop’s dry weight [6]. Phosphorus (P) participates in many physiological processes associated with plant growth and development. P is crucial in energy metabolism and photosynthesis, biosynthesis of organic compounds, the structural element of nucleic acids and phospholipids, up and down regulation of genes and the activity of enzymes, and in signal transduction [7,8]
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