Mahatma Phule Agricultural University, Rahuri, India-413722
Winged bean seedlings were grown in green house to study the influence of factors, viz., tissue weight, incubation time, nitrate concentration, diurnal variability, leaf canopy, soil moisture and nitrogen status on in vivo nitrate reductase (NR) activity. Significant variations were observed in diurnal NR activity. The fully developed, young and physiologically mature trifoliate had the highest NR activity as compared to that in the middle and lower ttifoliate. The NR level in the leaf tissue fluctuated according to moisture status of the soil. The decrease in soil moisture status from 36 to 28% reduced the NR activity by 29%. Further reduction in moisture status had drastic effect on NR activity. The application of nitrogen (10 to 40 kg/ha) increased the level ol nitrate reductase.
