Variations in the manganese concentrations in soybean trifoliolates

Abstract

Abstract Soybeans were grown in a Savannah sandy loam in the greenhouse to the prebloom stage. The effects of various soil treatments on foliar Mn concentrations were observed through time. There was a linear relationship between applied Mn and foliar Mn. The concentration of Mn in the older trifoliolates was higher than in younger ones. The mobility of Mn varied depending on the level of foliar Mn, Manganese is immobile at low concentrations of foliar Mn but at high levels of foliar Mn some may be translocated out of the leaf. Flooding the soil was quickly reflected in high foliar Mn of the newly developing leaves but not in the older ones. Newly developing leaves accumulated normal concentrations of foliar Mn after drying of the soil but older leaves, those developed during flooding retained the high foliar concentrations they had accumulated when the soil was anaerobic. Thus, the uppermost mature trifaliolate is the part of the plant which should be sampled for chemical analysis if the current status o...