a1_This study evaluated the relationship between photosynthetic carbon accumulation and symbiotic nitrogen nutrition in young fully expanded leaves of 30 nodulated cowpea genotypes grown in the field at Manga, Ghana, in 2005 and 2006. Estimates of fixed-N in photosynthetic leaves revealed greater symbiotic N in genotypes with higher photosynthetic rates and increased leaf transpiration rate/efficiency. There was also greater C accumulation in genotypes with higher symbiotic N and/or total N. Additionally, genotypes with high contents of C per unit of leaf total N exhibited greater C per unit of leaf N-fixed. The C/N and C/Rubisco-N ratios were generally similar in their magnitude when compared to the C/N-fixed ratio due possibly to the fact that Rubisco accounts for a high proportion of photosynthetic leaf N, irrespective of whether the enzyme was formed from soil N or symbiotic N. Cowpea genotypes that relied heavily on soil N for their N nutrition exhibited much higher C/N-fixed ratios, while conversely those that depended more on symbiosis for meeting their N demands showed markedly lower C/N-fixed values. For example, genotypes Omondaw, Bensogla, IT93K-2045-29, and Sanzie, which respectively derived 83.9, 83.1, 82.9, and 76.3% N from fixation, recorded lower C/N-fixed ratios of 10.7, 12.2, 12.1, and 13.0 mg mg-1 in that order in 2005. In contrast, genotypes Botswana White, IT94D-437-1, TVu1509, and Apagbaala, which obtained 14.8, 15.0, 26.4, and 26.0% of their N nutrition from fixation, showed high C/N-fixed values of 84.0, 69.0, 35.2, and 40.6 mg.mg-1, respectively, in 2005., a2_This clearly indicates that genotypes that obtained less N from symbiosis and more N from soil revealed very high C/N-fixed values, an argument that was reinforced by the negative correlations obtained between the three C/N ratios (i.e. C/N, C/Rubisco-N, and C/N-fixed) and leaf N concentration, percentage nitrogen derived from fixation, total N content, amount of N-fixed, and Rubisco N. These data suggest a direct link between photosynthetic C accumulation and symbiotic N assimilation in leaves of nodulated cowpea, and where genotypes derived a large proportion of their N from fixation, photosynthetic C yield substantially increased., A. K. Belane, F. D. Dakora., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
A field experiment involving two planting densities (83,333 and 166,666 plants per ha), two cropping systems (monoculture and mixed culture) and five cowpea [Vigna unguiculata L. (Walp.)] genotypes was conducted at Nietvoorbij (33°54S, 18°14E), Stellenbosch, South Africa, to select cowpea material with superior growth and water-use efficiency (WUE). The results showed significantly higher photosynthetic rates, stomatal conductance and transpiration in leaves of plants at low density and in monoculture due to greater chlorophyll (Chl) levels relative to those at high density and in mixed culture. As a result, C concentration in leaves and the amount of C, P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Cu, Zn, Mn, and B accumulated in shoots at low density and under monoculture were also much higher. Even though no marked differences in photosynthetic rates were found between and among the five cowpea genotypes, leaf C concentration and shoot C, P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Cu, Zn, Mn, and B contents differed considerably, with Sanzie exhibiting the highest C concentration and C, P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Cu, Zn, Mn, and B contents in shoots, followed by Bensogla and Omondaw, while ITH98-46 and TVu1509 had the lowest shoot concentration and contents of C, P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Cu, Zn, Mn, and B. WUE (calculated as photosynthate produced per unit water molecule transpired) was significantly greater in plants at low density and monoculture relative to those at high density and in mixed culture. Isotopic analysis revealed significant differences in δ13C values of sorghum [Sorghum bicolor L. (Moench.)] and cowpea, with higher δ13C values being obtained for plants at low density and in monoculture relative to those at high density or in mixed culture. The five cowpea genotypes also showed significant differences in δ13C values, with Sanzie exhibiting the most negative value (i.e. low WUE) and ITH98-46, the least negative δ13C value (i.e. high WUE). Whether measured isotopically or from gas-exchange studies, sorghum (a C4 species) exhibited much higher WUE relative to cowpea (a C3 species). Both correlation and regression analyses revealed a positive relationship between WUE from gas-exchange studies and δ13C values from isotopic analysis of cowpea and sorghum shoots. and J. H. J. R. Makoi, S. B. M. Chimphango, F. D. Dakora