Physical Environment and Symbiotic Nitrogen Fixation VII. Effect of Fluctuating Root Temperature on Nitrogen Fixation

Abstract

The effect of exposing nodulated plants to daily periods of high, moderate, or low root temperatures was examined, using Trifolium 8ubterraneum and three strains of Rhizobium trifolii. With strains whose nitrogen fixation was severely retarded by continuous exposure to high root temperatures, the results from treatments involving exposure of 4, 8, 12, and 20 hr/day to 30°C and continuous illumination were consistent with the effect being on the rate of nitrogen fixation, without any permanent impairment to the symbiotic system. With a 12 hr/day light period, a daily 12-hr exposure to 30°C during the dark period reduced total nitrogen fixation as much as exposure to 30°C during the light period. This indicated that the rate of nitrogen fixation during normal dark periods could be as high as that during periods of illumination. Similar conclusions were drawn from the same type of experiments involving daily exposure to moderate (14 and 16°C) root temperatures.