Effects of Environmental Factors on Growth and Nitrogen Fixation Activity of Kummerowia striata

매듭풀의 생육과 질소고정 활성에 미치는 환경요인의 영향

Effects of environmental factors of N, P, pH, moisture, temperature and oxygen on growth and nitrogen fixation activity of kummerowia striate (Thunb.) Schindler seedling, bearing symbiotic root nodules, were quantitatively analyzed during the growing period. The specific nitrogenase activity (ARA) of nodules showed the maximum value of 187 μmol C₂H₄g fr wt-1 h-1 6 weeks after seeds were germinated. The total nitrogenase activities per plant attained as 1.56, 0.85, 0.09 and 4.0, 1.11, 0.04 μmol C₂H₄hr-1, respectively for the treatments of 1, 3 and 5 mM NO₃￣and NH₄＋ on the 60th day. While the plant grown in N-free media for 20 days after treatments of 5 mM NH₄+for 40 days resulted in 30 mg fr wt of nodule formation and exhibited the relative activities of 152％ and 162％ for total and specific ARA in comparison with those of control plant grown with N-free for 60 days. Total biomass and ARA was by 70％ and 86％ lower in N and P deficiency, respectively. The N and P deficient plot showed 70％ and 86％ decreases of total biomass and ARA in comparison with those of control. The plant grown with N-free for 20 days after pretreatment with N and P free media for 40 days showed the relative values of 77％, 118％ and 150％, respectively for nodule biomass, total and specific ARA in comparison with those of control. The treatment with acid or alkali gradients resulted in significant decreases of nodule biomass and ARA. The optimum temperature and pO₂for ARA were 30°C and 40 kPa, respectively. Two peaks of diurnal variation appeared at 11:00 and 23:00 o'clocks by the continuous light condition. The plants with water stress by temporary wilting point rsulted in 95~97％ inhibition for nodule respiration, transpiration and specific ARA. Transpiration and ARA ware recovered to 88％ and 38％ of those of water unstressed plants, respectively, 6 hours after the plants were rewatered from water stressed condition.