RESPONSES OF THE BEAN PLANT TO CALCIUM DEFICIENCY

Abstract

The Dwarf Red Kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) was grown in the plus- and minus-Ca solas., used by Nightingale, et al., for tomato, and in plus- and minus-Ca solns. specially adapted to bean. When grown in the former[long dash]Ca soln., the plants were unable to mobilize the reserves (Ca, N, and ash constituents) of the cotyledons; although the plants absorbed ash constituents quite readily, they did not absorb nitrates. In the specially adapted[long dash]Ca soln., the reserves of the cotyledons were mobilized nearly as well as with +Ca plants, and the plants absorbed nitrates as readily as ash constituents. From several lines of evidence, it was shown that the Mg content of the soln. not adapted to bean was the factor that, although permitting absorption of ash, did not permit nitrate uptake.