Summary
Low concentrations of ethylene, comparable with those known to occur in anaerobic soil, inhibited extension of pea roots to a similar extent to that previously reported for barley. Thus pea appeared to be less sensitive to ethylene than some non-leguminous dicotyledons. Perfusion of 10ppm of ethylene through the soil around the roots of pea and white clover resulted in reduced shoot dry weight. Nodulation, and the nitrogenase activity of those nodules which did form, was also greatly reduced. The ecological consequences of the sensitivity of nodulation and nitrogen fixation to ethylene, and the possible significance for quantitative studies involving the acetylene-reduction assay, are discussed.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Abeles, F. B. 1973 Ethylene in Plant Biology, Academic Press.
Bond, G. 1951. Symbiosis of leguminous plants and nodule bacteria IV. The importance of the oxygen factor in nodule formation and function. Ann. Bot.15, 95–108.
Chadwick, A. V. and Burg, S. P. 1970 Regulation of root growth by auxin-ethylene interaction. Plant Physiol.45, 192–200.
Crossett, R. N. and Campbell, D. J. 1975 The effects of ethylene in the root environment upon the development of barley. Plant and Soil42, 453–464.
Day, J., Dart, P. and Roughley, R. 1975 Ethylene as a factor limiting the legume—Rhizobium symbiosis in tube culture. Ann. Appl. Biol.81, 119 (abstract).
Dowdell, R. J., Smith, K. A., Crees, R. and Restall, S. W. F. 1972 Field studies of ethylene in the soil atmosphere — equipment and preliminary results. Soil Biol. Biochem.4, 325–331.
Drennan, D. S. H. and Norton, C. 1972 The effect of ethrel on nodulation inPisum sativum L. Plant and Soil36, 53–57.
El-Beltagy, A. S. and Hall, M. A. 1974 Effect of water stress upon endogenous ethylene levels inVicia faba. New Phytol.73, 47–60.
Ferguson, T. P. and Bond, G. 1954. Symbiosis of leguminous plants and nodule bacteria V. The growth of red clover at different oxygen tensions. Ann. Bot.18, 385–396.
Grobbelaar, N., Clarke, B. and Hough, M. C. 1971 The nodulation and nitrogen fixation of isolated roots ofPhaseolus vulgaris L. III. The effect of carbon dioxide and ethylene. Plant and Soil Spec. Vol. 215–221.
Hardy, R. W. F., Burns, R. C. and Holsten, R. D. 1973 Applications of the acetylene-ethylene assay for measurement of nitrogen fixation. Soil Biol. Biochem.5, 47–81.
Jackson, M. B. and Campbell, D. J. 1976 Waterlogging and petiole epinasty in tomato: the role of ethylene and low oxygen. New Phytol.76, 21–29.
Koch, B. and Evans, H. J. 1966 Reduction of acetylene to ethylene by soybean root nodules. Plant Physiol.41, 1748–1750.
Lie, T. A. 1969 Non-photosynthetic effects of red and far-red light on root nodule formation by leguminous plants. Plant and Soil30, 391–404.
Minchin, F. R. and Pate, J. S. 1975 Effects of water, aeration and salt regime on nitrogen fixation in a nodulated legume — definition of an optimum root environment. J. Exp. Bot.26, 60–69.
Smith, K. A. and Dowdell, R. J. 1974 Field studies of the soil atmosphere I. Relationships between ethylene, oxygen, soil moisture centent, and temperature. J. Soil Sci.25, 217–230.
Smith, K. A. and Robertson, P. D. 1971 Effect of ethylene on root extension of cereals. Nature London234, 148–149.
Smith, K. A. and Russell, R. S. 1969 Occurrence of ethylene, and its significance, in anaerobic soil. Nature London222, 769–771.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Goodlass, G., Smith, K.A. Effects of ethylene on root extension and nodulation of pea (Pisum sativum L.) and white clover (Trifolium repens L.). Plant Soil 51, 387–395 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02197785
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02197785