MOLYBDENUM CONTENTS IN COMMON BEAN SEEDS AND PERFORMANCE OF PLANTS ORIGINATED FROM THOSE SEEDS

Abstract

The production of seeds with high molybdenum (Mo) content is a practical and inexpensive way of supplying its plants with this micronutrient. The objectives of this study were to estimate the relation among Mo rates sprayed over common bean plants cultivated in soil with pH of 6.1 and Mo contents in seeds of the Ouro Negro cultivar, and evaluate the performance of plants originated from those seeds. For that, two trials were carried out at the Zona da Mata region, Minas Gerais state, Brazil. In the first trial, plants were sprayed with 0 g ha-1, 90 g ha-1, 250 g ha-1, 500 g ha-1, 750 g ha-1, and 1,000 g ha-1 of Mo and the seeds had their Mo contents evaluated. In the second one, plants from seeds with four Mo contents (0.262 ±0 .060 ?g, 1.595 ± 0.281 ?g, 1.960 ± 0.804 ?g, or 2.648 ± 0.190 ?g), combined with either 0 g ha-1 or 90 g ha-1 of Mo were evaluated. The Mo content of seeds increased 0.217 µg, for each 100 g increase in the Mo rate. For 90 g ha-1 of Mo, there was no significant difference on chlorophyll readings, in response to the seed Mo content. Without Mo, the chlorophyll readings, at 40 DAE, increased linearly with the increase of seed Mo content.

KEY-WORDS: Phaseolus vulgaris; chlorophyll meter; seed molybdenum content.