The influence of waterlogging at different temperatures on penetration depth and porosity of roots and on stomatal diffusive resistance of pea and maize seedlings

The 8 days old seedlings of pea (cv. Ilowiecki) and maize (cv. Alma F1) were subjected to differentiated aeration conditions (control — with pore water tension about 15 kPa and flooded treatment) for 12 days at three soil temperatures (7, 15 and 25 °C). The shoots were grown at 25 °C while the soil temperature was differentiated by keeping the cylinders with the soil in thermostated water bath of the appropriate temperature. Lowering the root temperature with respect to the shoot temperature caused under control (oxic) conditions a decrease of the root penetration depth, their mass and porosity as well as a decrease of shoot height, their mass and chlorophyll content; the changes being more pronounced in maize as compared to the pea plants. Flooding the soil diminished the effect of temperature on the investigated parameters; the temperature effect remaining significant only in the case of shoot biomass and root porosity of pea plants. Root porosity of pea plants ranged from 2 to 4 % and that of maize plants — from 4 to 6 % of the root volume. Flooding the soil caused an increase in the root porosity of the pea plants in the entire temperature range and in maize roots at lower temperatures by about 1 % of the root volume. Flooding the soil caused a decrease of root mass and penetration depth as well as a decrease of plant height, biomass and leaf chlorophyll content.     

Effect of respiratory homeostasis on plant growth in cultivars of wheat and rice

Some plants have the ability to maintain similar respiratory rates (measured at the growth temperature), even when grown at different temperatures, a phenomenon referred to as respiratory homeostasis. The underlying mechanisms and ecological importance of this respiratory homeostasis are not understood. In order to understand this, root respiration and plant growth were investigated in two wheat cultivars (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Stiletto and cv. Patterson) with a high degree of homeostasis, and in one wheat cultivar (T. aestivum L. cv. Brookton) and one rice cultivar (Oryza sativa L. cv. Amaroo) with a low degree of homeostasis. The degree of homeostasis (H) is defined as a quantitative value, which occurs between 0 (no acclimation) and 1 (full acclimation). These plants were grown hydroponically at constant 15 or 25 °C. A good correlation was observed between the rate of root respiration and the relative growth rates (RGR) of whole plant, shoot or root. The plants with high H showed a tendency to maintain their RGR, irrespective of growth temperature, whereas the plants with low H grown at 15 °C showed lower RGR than those grown at 25 °C. Among several parameters of growth analysis, variation in net assimilation rate per shoot mass (NAR_m) appeared to be responsible for the variation in RGR and rates of root respiration in the four cultivars. The plants with high H maintained their NAR_m at low growth temperature, but the plants with low H grown at 15 °C showed lower NAR_m than those grown at 25 °C. It is concluded that respiratory homeostasis in roots would help to maintain growth rate at low temperature due to a smaller decrease in net carbon gain at low temperature. Alternatively, growth rate per se may control the demand of respiratory ATP, root respiration rates and sink demands of photosynthesis. The contribution of nitrogen uptake to total respiratory costs was also estimated, and the effects of a nitrogen leak out of the roots and the efficiency of respiration on those costs are discussed.     

Effect of temperature on competition amongst strains of Rhizobium trifolii for nodulation of two white clover varieties

The effect of temperature and soil type on the relative success in nodulating cultivars of white clover (Trifolium repens) by mixtures of antibiotic-resistant mutants of Rhizobium trifolii was studied. Under aseptic test-tube culture, 75 str nodulated the plants 5 days earlier than 33 spc at the lowest temperature, but the temperature ×Rhizobium strain interaction was not significant. 33 spc was more effective than 75 str at 25°C and, although no significant difference was found between the two mutant strains at the lower temperatures, die temperature ×Rhizobium strain interaction was highly significant. In soil, when inoculated with mixed inoculum, cv. S100 was more uniformly nodulated by 75 str (81%) than S184 (49%). Success in nodulation could be altered by temperature and the temperature × bacterial strain interaction was significant. In the mixed inoculum treatments, 75 str was most compatible with S100 at 12°C, whereas 33 spc was most compatible with SI84 at 25°C; the bacterial strain × variety × temperature interaction was highly significant. The results are discussed from the point of view of improving symbiotic nitrogen fixation by selecting effective strains of Rhizobium which are compatible with the particular host cultivar, which are competitive with the indigenous population and whose optimum temperatures for nodulation and competitiveness are similar to the soil temperature at the times of inoculation.     

Diversity within two serogroups of Rhizobium leguminosamm native to soils in the Palouse of eastern Washington*

The effect of plant genotype, soil temperature, and moisture on recovery of Rhizobium leguminosamm serogroups WA01 and WA02 from soil, was evaluated in the greenhouse using three plant genotypes (Pisum sativum cv. Alaska, Pisum sativum cv. Paloma and Lens culinaris cv. Rechief), three temperatures (12, 20 and 24°C) and soil from two different slope positions. The impact of moisture was followed by assessing pea nodulation after incubation of soil at different preplanting moisture levels. Isolates were also evaluated for serogroup, response to low levels of antibiotics and efficacy of symbiotic characters. Of the 33 antibiotic-strain combinations showing growth, 10 permitted 50% or more of the isolates to grow. Of the 24 clusters obtained, all except one were dominated by isolates in either serogroup. WA01 or WA02. There was no relation between either serogroup or cluster groupings and N₂ fixation. Serogroup recovery was influenced by plant genotype and temperature. At root temperatures of 12 and 24°C, serogroup WA02 occurred in a significantly lower fraction of the lentil nodules as compared to the pea species. At 12°C, recovery of WA02 was higher for the Paloma than Alaska pea. Recovery of WA02 in pea nodules generally increased as the soil moisture was preconditioned to drier levels of -0.5 and -1.5 MPa water potential.     

Nitrogen fixation byAlnus viridis (Chaix) DC.

Summary InAlnus viridis nodule growth relative to plant growth was inversely related to the quantity of nitrate added to nutrient solutions. Nodulated plants showed maximum growth when grown independently of supplied nitrogen and made better growth in its absence than unnodulated plants at any level of added nitrogen. Low levels of nitrate caused a depression of growth of nodulated plants, apparently by suppressing both nitrogen fixation and nodule growth. Nodules in nitrogen-free sand culture fixed atmospheric nitrogen at a rate of 6.6 mg/day/g nodule. Phosphorus deficiency was induced by low levels of phosphate and resulted in small plants with dark-green foliage. Root and nodule growth as a percentage of total plant growth and the percentage of total accumulated plant nitrogen below ground were greater at a root temperature of 11°C than 21°C. Thus at low root temperature processes other than nitrogen fixation were limiting to plant growth. Excised nodules were exposed to an N ₂ ¹⁵ -enriched atmosphere. A positive correlation between rate of nitrogen fixation and temperature was obtained, with optimum fixation occurring at about 20°C. It was shown that in spite of decreasing mean temperatures with increase in altitude, rate of nitrogen fixation by nodules of plants growing in the field increased with increase in altitude. This latter trend was deduced to be a reflection of the extent to which the field sites were nitrogen deficient in relation to climatically possible growth.     

Effect of soil temperature on nitrogen fixation on roots of rice and reed

Summary The relation of nitrogenase activity (ethylene evolution) to soil temperature or incubation temperature of roots was determined on two genera of swamp plants, namely rice (Oryza sativa) cultivated in tropical climate and reed (Phragmites communis) grown in temperate regions. For both intact rice plants and excised rice roots the optimum temperature was 35°C. On excised roots nitrogenase activity responded more sensitivity to changes in temperature. In contrast to intact rice plants no ethylene evolution occurred on excised roots at 17 and 44°C. On reed roots temperature optimum was between 26 and 30°C which is clearly lower than on rice (35°C). The temperature range in which nitrogen fixation occurred was, however, similar to that of rice, although on a lower level. The results suggest a higher potential of the tropics for associative N₂ fixation, while in cooler climates the lower temperatures appear to be a major limiting factor.     

Effects of nitrogen supply and high temperature on the growth and physiology of the chickpea

Chickpeas were grown with or without nitrate nitrogen feeding, or nodulated with Rhizobium leguminosarum. High [40°C day, 25°C night (HT)] and moderate [25°C day, 177°C night (LT)] temperature regimes were employed during growth. Growth rates, photosynthetic capacity and enzymes of carbon and nitrogen metabolism were monitored to assess the acclimatory capacity of the chickpea. Initial growth rates were stimulated by high temperatures, particularly in nitrate-fed and nodulated plants. Older HT plants had fewer laterals, smaller leaves, and fewer flowers were produced than in LT plants. There was some indication of an acclimation of photosynthesis to high temperatures and this was independent of nitrogen supply. Rubisco activity was increased by high growth temperatures. However, HT plants also had higher transpiration rates and lower water use efficiency than LT plants both in respective growth conditions and when compared in a common condition. High temperatures reduced shoot nitrate reductase activity but had little effect on root activity, which was the same if not greater than activity in LT roots. The amino acid, asparagine, was found at high concentrations in all treatments. Concentrations were maintained throughout growth in HT plants but declined with age in LT plants.     

Sensitivity of the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) symbiosis to high soil temperature

Summary Experiments were done to test whether N fixation is more sensitive to high soil temperatures in common bean than in cowpea or soybean. Greenhouse experiments compared nodulation, nitrogenase activity, growth and nitrogen accumulation of several host/strain combinations of common bean with the other grain legumes and with N-fertilization, at various root temperatures. Field experiments compared relative N-accumulation (in symbiotic relative to N-fertilized plants) of common bean with cowpea under different soil thermal regimes. N-fertilized beans were unaffected by the higher temperatures, but nitrogen accumulation by symbiotic beans was always more sensitive to high root temperatures (33°C, 33/28°C, 34/28°C compared with 28°C) than were cowpea and soybean symbiosis. Healthy bean nodules that had developed at low temperatures functioned normally in acetylene reduction tests done at 35°C. High temperatures caused little or no suppression of nodule number. However, bean nodules produced at high temperatures were small and had low specific activity. ForP. vulgaris some tolerance to high temperature was observed among rhizobium strains (e.g., CIAT 899 was tolerant) but not among host cultivars. Heat tolerance ofP. acutifolius andP. lunatus symbioses was similar to that of cowpea and soybean. In the field, high surface soil temperatures did not reduce N accumulation in symbiotic beans more than in cowpea, probably because of compensatory nodulation in the deeper and cooler parts of the soil.     

Physiological responses of Opuntia ficus-indica to growth temperature

The influences of various day/night air temperatures on net CO₂ uptake and nocturnal acid accumulation were determined for Opuntia ficus-indica, complementing previous studies on the water relations and responses to photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) for this widely cultivated cactus. As for other Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) plants, net nocturnal CO₂ uptake had a relatively low optimal temperature, ranging from 11°C for plants grown at day/night air temperatures of 10°C/0°C to 23°C at 45°C/35°C. Stomatal opening, which occurred essentially only at night and was measured by changes in water vapor conductance, progressively decreased as the measurement temperature was raised. The CO₂ residual conductance, which describes chlorenchyma properties, had a temperature optimum a few degrees higher than the optimum for net CO₂ uptake at all growth temperatures. Nocturnal CO₂ uptake and acid accumulation summed over the whole night were maximal for growth temperatures near 25°C/15°C, CO₂ uptake decreasing more rapidly than acid accumulation as the growth temperature was raised. At day/night air temperatures that led to substantial nocturnal acid accumulation (25°C/15°C.). 90% saturation of acid accumulation required a higher total daily PAR than at non-optimal growth temperatures (10°C/0°C and 35°C/25°C). Also, the optimal temperature of net CO₂ uptake shifted downward when the plants were under drought conditions at all three growth temperatures tested, possibly reflecting an increased fractional importance of respiration at the higher temperatures during drought. Thus, water status, ambient PAR, and growth temperatures must all be considered when predicting the temperature response of gas exchange for O. ficus-indica and presumably for other CAM plants.     

Evaluation of host and pathogen responses for screening soil amendments to control Sclerotium rolfsii

Three strains of Bradyrhizobium, 280A, 2209A and 32H1, that nodulated peanuts (Arachis hypogaea L.), were tested for their ability to grow and survive at elevated temperatures of up to 42°C in laboratory culture. Strain 32H1 was unable to grow at 37°C and was more sensitive to elevated temperatures than the other two strains. All three produced heat-shock proteins of molecular weights 17 kDa and 18 kDa. Two greenhouse experiments were conducted to determine the effect of high root temperature on nodulation, growth and nitrogen fixation of peanut. Two peanut varieties (Virginia cv NC7 and Spanish cv Pronto) were inoculated and exposed to root temperatures of 30°, 37° and 40°C. Nodulation and nitrogen fixation were strongly affected by root temperature but there was no variety × temperature interaction. At a constant 40°C root temperature no nodules were formed. Nodules were formed when roots were exposed to this temperature with diurnal cycling but no nitrogen fixation occurred. Highest plant dry weight, shoot nitrogen content and total nitrogen were observed at a constant root temperature of 30°C. Increasing root temperature to 37°C reduced average nitrogen content by 37% and total nitrogen by 49% but did not reduce nodulation. The symbiotic performance of the strains corresponded to their abilities to grow and survive at high temperature in culture.     

Phytophthora cryptogea root rot of tomato in rock woo] nutrient culture. II. Effect of root zone temperature on infection, sporulation and symptom development

The effect of root-zone temperature on Phytophthora cryptogea root rot was studied in tomato cv. Counter grown under winter and summer conditions in rockwool culture. A nutrient temperature of 25°C resulted in increased root initiation and growth, higher in winter-grown than in summer-grown plants. Rhizosphere zoospore populations were greatly reduced at 25°C and above. Growth of P. cryptogea in vitro was optimal between 20°C and 25°C and completely suppressed at 30°C. Encystment was enhanced by increased temperatures above 20°C. Zoospore release in vitro occurred in cultures maintained at constant temperatures in the absence of the normal chilling stimulus. Optimal release was at 10°C; no zoospores were released at 30°C. Inoculated, winter-grown tomato plants maintained at 15°C developed acute aerial symptoms and died after 21 days. Comparable plants grown at a root-zone temperature of 25°C remained symptomless for the 3-months duration of the experiment. Summer-grown infected plants at the higher root temperature wilted but did not die. Enhanced temperature was ineffective as a curative treatment in summer-grown plants with established infection. Aerial symptoms of Phytophthora infection are seen as a function of the net amount of available healthy root. With high root zone temperatures this is determined by new root production and decreased inoculum and infection.     

Thermosensitive genetic dwarfs of apple

The role of environment on the dwarfing (short internode) phenomenon of apple (Malus domestisca Borkh.) was investi gated and defined in controlled environmental chambers. Orchard-grown very dwarf, dwarf and semi-dwarf trees obtained by natural sibcrossing of spur-type cv. Golden Delicious and cv. Delicious, as well as standard cv. Golden Delicious, were propagated via in vitro techniques. Growth was rapid and none of the 4 types exhibited dwarf-like characteristics when grown at constant 27°C with 12, 14 or 16 h daylengths. Standard and very dwarf plants grew at nearly the same rate at constant 30°C, whereas growth nearly ceased on both types at constant 35°C after 7 days. Dwarf and very dwarf plants responded differently from standard and semi-dwarf plants when grown under alternating (ramped) night/day temperatures (15 or 20°C night ramped up to a daytime maximum over 8 h of 23, 28, 33 or 38°C, held for 2 h and then ramped down over 5 h to the night temperature). As the night/maximum day temperature differentia) increased from 0 to 23° under the ramping environments, growth of dwarf plants decreased markedly as compared to standard plants. When the same night/maximum day temperature differential occurred, the effect on decreasing shoot length was greater at the higher (20°C) night temperature. Increasing maximum day temperatures under the ramped environment also reduced leaf area plant^?1 but did not markedly affect leaf number, resulting in short internodes. When a period of constant temperature was followed by ramped temperatures or vice versa, the sequence of constant vs ramped environments made little difference in the final growth of the 4 plant types. The data point to high temperature as the major factor for causing dwarfing of the sensitive plant types. Increasing the differential between night and maximum day temperature resulted in short internode. dwarf plants with small leaves similar to orchard-grown dwarf trees.     

Temperature effects on the response to sulphur of barley,peas and rape

Summary The effects of temperature and sulphur nutrition on the growth, yield and mineral composition (N, NO₃-N, S and SO₄-S) ofHordeum vulgare L. cv Olli,Pisum sativum L. cv Dark Skin Perfection, andBrassica campestris L. cv Arlo, were investigated in controlled environments. When barley and rape plants were grown at O ppm S, deficiency symptoms developed in about two weeks, whereas peas at the same level developed deficiency symptoms in about three weeks. The location of the deficiency symptoms varied between species. Plant weight increased with increasing S levels, but the shoot had a greater growth response than did the root. Optimum day/night growing temperature regimes for barley and peas were found to be near 24/16 at four weeks from seeding and near 18/10°C at the mature stage as evident from weights, maximum fruit set and mineral uptake. Optimum temperature for rape plants was near 29/21°C at both stages of growth. Mineral concentration was higher at four weeks after seeding than at the mature stage in pea and rape plants, while in barley the mineral concentration was similar at both stages of growth. With increase in S supply there was an increase in concentration of both total S and SO₄-S. Concentrations also increased with increasing temperatures. S deficient plants had increased total N and NO₃-N concentrations in all three species. NO₃-N concentration also increased with an increase in temperature while total N concentration was not appreciably influenced. These experiments indicated that the effects of S nutrition on growth, development and mineral composition of plants depends on the species, temperature regime and growth stage     

The effect of root temperature on rose plants in relation to air temperature

Rose plants (Rosa hybrida ‘Sonia’=‘Sweet Promise’) were grown in heated (minimum night temperature 17°C), and unheated greenhouses with or without root heating to 21°C. These trials covered 6 growth cycles extending over two winter seasons. In the heated greenhouse, root heating did not increase yield, flower quality or plant development. In the unheated greenhouse, root-heated plants grew as well as those in the air-heated greenhouse as long as the air temperature did not fall below 6°C. When minimum night temperatures fell below 6°C, growth, yield and quality were reduced, irrespective of root temperature. Daytime plant water relations were studied in plants growing at 6 different root temperatures in the unheated greenhouse. Leaf resistance to water diffusion was lowest at optimal root temperature. Total leaf water potential was not significantly affected by root temperature.     

Effect of temperature on nitrogenase functioning in cowpea nodules

Nitrogenase (EC 1.7.99.2) activity of a cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp cv Caloona) symbiosis formed with a Rhizobium strain (176A27) lacking uptake hydrogenase and maintained under conditions of a 12-hour day at an air temperature of 30°C (800-1000 microeinsteins per square meter per second) and a 12-hour night at an air temperature of 20°C showed a marked diurnal variation in ratio of nitrogen fixed to hydrogen evolved. As little as 0.3 micromole nitrogen was fixed per micromole hydrogen evolved in the photoperiod versus up to 0.6 in the dark period. In plants maintained under the same diurnal illumination regime but at constant (day and night) air temperature (30°C), this difference was abolished and a relatively constant ratio of nitrogen fixed to hydrogen evolved (around 0.3 micromole per micromole) was observed day and night. Exposure of nodulated roots to a range of temperatures maintained for 2 hours in a single photoperiod indicated that, whereas hydrogen evolution increased with increasing temperature from 15°C to a maximum around 35°C, nitrogen fixation was largely unaffected over this temperature range. Both functions of the enzyme declined sharply at temperatures above 38°C. A similar general response of nitrogen fixation to root temperature was observed in glasshouse-grown, sand-cultured plants maintained under a range of temperatures (from 15 to 35°C) for a 14-day period in mid vegetative growth. The effect of temperature on the proportion of electrons allocated to proton reduction compared with nitrogen reduction showed a linearly increasing relationship (correlation coefficient = 0.96) between 15°C and 47°C.     

Processes hindering activation of lipid peroxidation in cold-tolerant plants under hypothermia

The reasons why the rate of lipid peroxidation (POL) associated with a long-term action of low above-zero temperature (5°C, 6 days) on 6-week-old plants of two potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) cultivars (cold-tolerant cv. Desnitsa and less tolerant cv. Desiree) did not rise were investigated. Upon a long-term action of low hardening temperatures on the plants of both cultivars, there was an equilibrium between the rate of generation of superoxide anion (O₂^·− and activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), which inactivated it with the formation of H₂O₂. Among the enzymes breaking up hydrogen peroxide, the highest activity was observed for guaiacol peroxidases, which was an order of magnitude greater than the activity of catalase. In potato cultivars, POL processes were not considerably activated; however, activities of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, catalase, and guaiacol peroxidases) in cold-tolerant cv. Desnitsa and less tolerant cv. Desiree differed. It was concluded that, upon a long-term action of hardening temperatures, cold-tolerant plants could sup-press POL processes. Moreover, a test for tolerance to damaging temperature (−3°C, 18 h) showed that detected preservation of the prooxidant/antioxidant equilibrium not only maintained vital activities at low above-zero temperatures but also elevated tolerance to short-term frosts, with this adaptability being cultivar-specific.     

Temperature response of root‐lesion nematode (Pratylenchus thornei) reproduction on wheat cultivars has implications for resistance screening and wheat production

The root‐lesion nematode Pratylenchus thornei is a major pathogen of wheat and other field crops, particularly in the northern grain region of sub‐tropical eastern Australia. Research was conducted into the temperature requirements of P. thornei for reproduction on wheat to increase the reliability of selection in resistance tests for wheat breeding. Final population densities (P_f) of P. thornei were determined on four wheat cultivars (Gatcher, GS50a, Potam and Suneca) at fortnightly intervals from 8 to 18 weeks at a range of six soil temperatures (15°C, 20°C, 22.5°C, 25°C, 27.5°C and 30°C) in a glasshouse experiment. Pratylenchus thornei had the highest P_f in the temperature range of 20–25°C on all wheat cultivars at all growth times after sowing, with no nematode reproduction measured at 30°C and very little at 15°C. The wheat cv. GS50a consistently produced lower P_f than cvs Gatcher, Potam and Suneca in the optimum temperature range of 20–25°C. In carrot disc cultures, P. thornei had an optimum temperature of 25°C with little reproduction at 17.5°C and none detectable at 30°C. A standard soil temperature of 23°C was chosen to maximise differences in nematode reproduction between resistant and susceptible wheat genotypes for selection in wheat breeding, and to improve reproducibility among successive experiments. The relationships derived from these experiments will be valuable for simulation of P. thornei reproduction in crop growth models. They also indicate that early sowing of wheat into cool soil (≤15°C) in farmers' fields of the northern grain region should favour wheat growth over nematode reproduction and increase grain yield.     

High Temperatures and Net CO2 Uptake, Growth, and Stem Damage for the Hemiepiphytic Cactus Hylocereus undatus1

Hylocereus undatus, which is native to tropical forests experiencing moderate temperatures, would not be expected to tolerate the extremely high temperatures that can be tolerated by cacti native to deserts. Nevertheless, total daily net CO₂ uptake by this hemiepiphytic cactus, which is widely cultivated for its fruits, was optimal at day/night air temperatures of 30/20°C, temperatures that are higher than those optimal for daily net CO₂ uptake by cacti native to arid and semiarid areas. Exposure to 35/25°C for 30 weeks led to lower net CO₂ uptake than at 10 weeks; exposure to 40/30°C led to considerable necrosis visible on the stems at 6 weeks and nearly complete browning of the stems by 19 weeks. Dry mass gain over 31 weeks was greatest for plants at 30/20°C, with root growth being especially noteworthy and root dry mass gain representing an increasing percentage of plant dry mass gain as day/night air temperatures were increased. Viability of chlorenchyma cells, assayed by the uptake of the vital stain neutral red into the central vacuoles, was decreased 50 percent by a one‐hour treatment at 55°C compared with an average of 64°C for 18 species of cacti native to deserts. The lower high‐temperature tolerance for H. undatus reflected its low high‐temperature acclimation of only 1.4°C as growth temperatures were raised by 10°C compared with an average acclimation of 5.3°C for the other 18 species of cacti. Thus, this tropical hemiepiphytic cactus is not adapted to day/night air temperatures above ca 40/30°C, although its net CO₂ uptake is optimal at the relatively high day/night air temperatures of 30/20°C.     

THE EFFECT OF SHORT PERIODS OF HIGH TEMPERATURE DURING DAY AND NIGHT PERIODS ON PEA YIELDS

Karr , E. J. (Ohio State U., Columbus), A. J. Linck , and C. A. Swanson . The effect of short periods of high temperature during day and night periods on pea yields. Amer. Jour. Bot. 46(2) : 91-93. Illus. 1959.—The effect of high temperatures during periods of relatively short duration (3-4 days) at various stages following anthesis at the first bloom node was studied in relation to yield of peas at this node. Except for the periods of differential temperature treatments, the plants were maintained in a standard environment room (24°C., light, 12 hr.; 15°C., darkness, 12 hr.). Three different temperature regimes during the treatment periods were studied: high day temperature—standard night temperature (32°—15°C.) ; standard day temperature—high night temperature (24°—30°C.) ; and high day and night temperatures combined (32°—30°C.). The data reveal the existence of a relatively well-defined thermal-sensitive period, with maximal sensitivity to high day temperatures occurring at about 9-11 days from full bloom, and maximal sensitivity to high night temperatures occurring about 6-9 days from full bloom. High night temperatures proved more critical, resulting in a maximal reduction of 25% in yield, as opposed to about 8% for high day temperatures. The effect of high day and night temperatures combined tended to be roughly additive.     

Concurrent Rates of N2 Fixation, Nitrate and Ammonium Uptake by White Clover in Response to Growth at Different Root Temperatures

Nodulated white clover plants (Trifolium repens L. cv. Huia)were grown for 71 d in flowing nutrient solutions containingN as 10 mmol m_–3 NH₄NO₃, under artificial illumination,with shoots at 20/15°C day/night temperatures and root temperaturereduced decrementally from 20 to 5°C. Root temperatureswere then changed to 3, 7, 9, 11, 13, 17 or 25°C, and theacquisition of N by N₂ fixation, NH₄+ and NO₃^– uptakewas measured over 14 d. Shoot specific growth rates (d. wt)doubled with increasing temperature between 7 and 17°C,whilst root specific growth rates showed little response; shoot:root ratios increased with root temperature, and over time at11°C. Net uptake of total N per plant (N₂ fixation + NH₄++ NO₃^–) over 14 d increased three-fold between 3 and 17°C.The proportion contributed by N₂ fixation decreased with increasingtemperature from 51% at 5°C to 18% at 25°C. Uptake ofNH₄+ as a proportion of NH₄+ + NO₃^– uptake over 14 d variedlittle (55–62%) with root temperature between 3 and 25°C,although it increased with time at most temperatures. Mean ratesof total N uptake per unit shoot f. wt over 14 d changed littlebetween 9 and 25°C, but decreased progressively with temperaturebelow 9°C, due to the decline in the rates of NH₄+ and NO₃^–uptake, even though N₂ fixation increased. The results suggestthat N₂ fixation in the presence of sustained low concentrationsof NH₄+ and NO₄^– is less sensitive to low root temperaturethan are either NH₄+ or NO₃^– uptake systems. White clover, Trifolium repens L. cv. Huia, root temperature, nitrogen fixation, ammonium, nitrate