Abstract
Aims
Most studies that quantified the biological N fixation (BNF) and partial N balances of soybean have ignored the belowground structures. Our objectives were to evaluate the contribution of belowground structures to the partial N balance of soybean and to identify the origin (soil or BNF) and source (apparent remobilization or current gain during the seed-filling period) of seed N.
Methods
Biomass, BNF, and N uptake coming from different N sources and origins, including belowground structures, were quantified in a two-year field study involving two soybean genotypes (MG IV and V) and two water availability conditions (rainfed and irrigated).
Results
The inclusion of BNF-derived N present in belowground components (which averaged +12 kg N ha−1 at R7) changed the results of the partial N balances from negative to positive. BNF was the main origin of seed N, accounting for 73 and 79% of seed N under water stressed and non-stressed conditions, respectively. Regarding the seed N source, apparent remobilization was the main contributor to seed N under water stress, whereas current N gain was the main contributor to seed N in unstressed plants.
Conclusions
We conclude that i) the root system retains a relevant proportion of the atmospheric N fixed during the crop cycle and should be included in the partial N balance estimations; and ii) BNF is the main origin of seed N, even under contrasting growing conditions.
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Data availability
The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
Change history
04 July 2022
A Correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-022-05541-y
Abbreviations
- N:
-
Nitrogen uptake
- BNF:
-
Biological nitrogen fixation
- BNF-N:
-
Nitrogen from biological nitrogen fixation
- soil-N:
-
Nitrogen intake from soil nitrogen
- %Ndfa:
-
Percentage of biological nitrogen fixation
- BB:
-
Belowground biomass
- AB:
-
Aboveground biomass
- ABVeg :
-
Vegetative aboveground biomass
- Tot:
-
Total biomass
- PB:
-
Partial balance
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Acknowledgements
We are greatly thankful for the help of Dr. Fernando García on funding acquisition. We also thank Diego Uliassi for assistance in field collections and agronomy interns for essential research collaboration in laboratory assistance.
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This work was supported by Agencia Nacional de Promocion Cientifica y Tecnológica (ANPCyT - PICT 03431), University of Buenos Aires (UBACYT 20020170100686BA), International Plant Nutrition Institute (IPNI) and Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA - National Projects PNCYO 1127033 and PE-I011).
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Esteban Kehoe: conceptualization, design of the research, performance of the research, data analysis, collection and interpretation, and writing the manuscript. Gerardo Rubio: conceptualization, funding acquisition, data interpretation and writing the manuscript. Fernando Salvagiotti: conceptualization, funding acquisition, design of the research, data interpretation and writing the manuscript. The authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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Kehoe, E., Rubio, G. & Salvagiotti, F. Contribution of different sources and origins of nitrogen in above- and below-ground structures to the partial nitrogen balance in soybean.. Plant Soil 477, 405–422 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-022-05418-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-022-05418-0