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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Raleigh, North Carolina » Soybean and Nitrogen Fixation Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #187068
Title: NITROGEN TRANSFER BETWEEN PLANTS: A 15N NATURAL ABUNDANCE STUDY WITH CROP AND WEED SPECIES

Author
item MOYER-HENRY, K - NC STATE UNIV
item Burton, Joseph
item Israel, Daniel
item RUFTY, T - NC STATE UNIV

Submitted to: Plant and Soil
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/1/2005
Publication Date: 6/22/2006
Citation: Moyer-Henry, K.A., Burton, J.W., Israel, D.W., Rufty, T.W. 2006. Nitrogen transfer between plants: a 15n natural abundance study with crop and weed species. Plant and Soil Journal. Vol. 282, No. 1-2: pp. 7-20.

Interpretive Summary: Experiments were initiated to examine N transfer between N2-fixing soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.) varieties and a non-nodulating soybean, and between N2-fixing peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) or soybean and neighboring weed species. Differences in N accumulation and/or 15N natural abundance were used to estimate N transfer. Results of experiments with N2-fixing crops and the weed species prickly sida (Sida spinosa L.) and sicklepod (Senna obtusifolia [L.] Irwin & Barneby) also indicated substantial N transfer occurred over a 60-day period, with amounts accounting for 30 to 80% of the N present in the weeds. Transfer of N, however, was generally very low in weed species that are known to be non-hosts for arbuscular mycorrhizae (yellow nutsedge, Cyperus esculentus L. and Palmer amaranth, Amaranthus palmeri [S.] Watson). The results are consistent with the view that N transfer occurs primarily through mycorrhizal hyphal networks, and they reveal that N transfer may be a contributing factor to weed problems in N2-fixing crops in low N fertility conditions. This information may lead to development of improved weed management strategies in soybean and peanut production systems, especially in the Southeastern US.

Technical Abstract: An increasing amount of evidence indicates that N can be transferred between plants. Nonetheless, a number of fundamental questions remain. A series of experiments was initiated in the field to examine N transfer between N2-fixing soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.) varieties and a non-nodulating soybean, and between N2-fixing peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) or soybean and neighboring weed species. The experiments were conducted in soils with low N fertilities and used differences in N accumulation and/or 15N natural abundance to estimate N transfer. Mixtures of N2-fixing and non-nod soybean indicated that substantial inter-plant N transfer occurred. Amounts were variable, ranging from negligible levels to 48% of the N found in the non-nod at maturity. Transfer did not appear to strongly penalize the N2-fixing donor plants. But, in cases where high amounts of N were transferred, N content of donors was noticeably lowered. Differences were evident in the amount of N transferred from different N2-fixing donor genotypes. Results of experiments with N2-fixing crops and the weed species prickly sida (Sida spinosa L.) and sicklepod (Senna obtusifolia [L.] Irwin & Barneby) also indicated substantial N transfer occurred over a 60-day period, with amounts accounting for 30 to 80% of the N present in the weeds. Transfer of N, however, was generally very low in weed species that are known to be non-hosts for arbuscular mycorrhizae (yellow nutsedge, Cyperus esculentus L. and Palmer amaranth, Amaranthus palmeri [S.] Watson). The results are consistent with the view that N transfer occurs primarily through mycorrhizal hyphal networks, and they reveal that N transfer may be a contributing factor to weed problems in N2-fixing crops in low N fertility conditions.