biologia plantarum

Biologia plantarum 41:217-226, 1998 | DOI: 10.1023/A:1001862513105

Growth, nitrate uptake and respiration rate in bean roots under phosphate deficiency

A. Gniazdowska¹, M. Mikulska¹, A.M. Rychter¹

¹ Institute of Experimental Plant Biology, University of Warsaw, Pawińskiego 5A, Warszawa, Poland

The decrease in inorganic phosphate concentration in bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L. cv. Złota Saxa) roots induced decrease in respiration rate. The decrease observed in ATP pool in phosphate deficient (-P) roots was greater than it would result from the decline in respiration and possible involvement of alternative pathway, suggesting an increased energy utilization for growth and ion uptake. Indeed, relative growth rate was higher in -P plants until 12 d of culture and later dropped to the rate similar to the control. Net nitrate uptake rate was higher in -P plants than in +P plants at the beginning of phosphate starvation, then during the prolonged culture it decreased rapidly in -P plants and after 19 d it was 8 times lower than that in the control. The decline in ATP production during prolonged phosphate starvation influenced NO₃ ^- uptake more than root growth.

Keywords: ATP; cyanide resistant respiration; Phaseolus vulgaris

Subjects: bean, P deficiency; cyanide resistant respiration, root; nitrate uptake, respiration; Phaseolus vulgaris; phosphate deficiency, root growth; respiration rate, P deficiency; root growth, P deficiency

Published: March 1, 1998  Show citation