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Effect of Alfalfa Ploidy on Nitrogen Fixation 1
Author(s) -
Leps Walter T.,
Brill Winston J.,
Bingham E. T.
Publication year - 1980
Publication title -
crop science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.76
H-Index - 147
eISSN - 1435-0653
pISSN - 0011-183X
DOI - 10.2135/cropsci1980.0011183x002000040002x
Subject(s) - ploidy , biology , medicago sativa , nitrogen fixation , acetylene , botany , fixation (population genetics) , horticulture , agronomy , genetics , bacteria , chemistry , organic chemistry , gene
Genetically similar families of alfalfa ( Medicago sativa L.) at diploid (2×), tetraploid (4×), and octaploid (8×) ploidy levels were assayed for acetylene‐reduction activity to determine the effect of ploidy on N 2 fixation by nodulated plants. Tetraploids had higher rates of acetylene reduction than diploids during the first 10 days of growth. After that time, both tetraploid and diploid plants reduced acetylene at the same rate. The higher acetylenereduction activity found during the first 10 days may reflect the ability of the tetraploids to fix more N 2 than the diploids early in growth and may explain why tetraploids had higher N contents than the diploids when the plants obtained their N from N 2 fixation. Increasing the ploidy of alfalfa plants from tetraploid to octaploid did not result in increased acetylene‐reduction activities or N content.