Biomasa, actividad enzimática y compuestos nitrogenados en plantas de frijol ejotero bajo diferentes dosis de potasio

Abstract

One of the main factors regulating biomass production, enzymatic activity and the amount of nitrogen compounds in roots and leaves of snap beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is the nutritional status of K, hence the objective of this research was to understand the effect of different potassium concentration on these physiological plant responses. The experiment was carried out with the snap bean cv. Strike in growth chambers during the spring of 2000 in Granada, Spain. The controlled environment conditions were: relative humidity 60-80%, temperature 28/22 °C (day/night), photoperiod 16/8 h (day/night) and luminosity of 350 µmol m-2 s-1. Potassium was applied as nutrient solution of KOH in increasing concentrations: K1= 1.0 mM, K2= 2.0 mM, K3= 4.0 mM, K4= 8.0 mM, K5= 12.0 mM, and K6=16.0 mM of K+. Results indicated that both deficiencies and excess of K affected the nitrogen metabolism in the same way that the effect caused by N stress. Under K+ deficiencies (K1 and K2) there was a decrease in the content of enzymes related to N assimilation such as nitrate reducíase, nitrite reductase, glutamine sintetase, glutamine sintase, and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase, causing in the plant low concentrations of amino acids, proteins, nitrogen organic compounds, all of which diminished biomass production in 15% when compared to K3. Treatments with higher concentrations of K+ such as K4, K5 and K6 had the greater concentrations of NO3- and NH4+, increased assimilation of N and higher concentration of nitrogen compounds. However, these increments were not related to biomass, acummulation, on the contrary, dry weight of roots and shoots were diminished in 35% due to the toxic effects observed in treatments K5 and K6. Therefore, K+ doses above the optimal were detrimental for root and shoot growth, being the shoot more diminished