The Role of Cotyledons in Vegetative Growth and Nitrogen Assimilation by Soya Bean

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Abstract
The removal of both cotyledons from soya bean seedlings 10 days after sowing, when the primary leaves were unfolded, reduced their stem height, branching, leaf production and dry weight at flowering by a similar proportion whether they were nodulated or nitrate-dependent. Nitrogen assimilation by the shoots of nitrate-dependent plants was increased by the removal of one cotyledon and reduced by the removal of both cotyledons although these effects were not significant. Both these treatments significantly increased the amount of nitrogen in the shoots of nodulated plants at flowering, mainly by more than doubling the nitrogen content of their leaves. In contrast, the proportion of the total plant nitrogen in the leaves of nitrate-dependent plants was almost constant. These results suggest that the cotyledons markedly inhibit nitrogen assimilation by nodulated plants but do not appreciably affect nitrogen assimilation by plants dependent solely on inorganic nitrogen for their nitrogen supply.

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