The effect of morphactin (methyl 2-chloro-9-hydroxyfluorene-9-carboxylate) on the growth and anatomical features in soybean (Glycine max (L). Merril) cultivar

Abstract

The objective of this research was to evaluate the effects of morphactin, on the growth and anatomical features of soybean plants (Glycine max L. Merrill) cv. Crawford. Field experiments were conducted under different irrigation regimes (every 5 and 10 days) on soybeans (Glycine max L. Merril) that were planted in a newly reclaimed sandy soil at the Experimental Farm at Suez Canal University, Egypt during seasons of 1998 and 1999. Different concentrations of the morphactin (0, 50 and 200 mg L-1) were added at 40 days after sowing by foliar application. The morphactin treatments significantly decreased the plant height (14.88 and 21.44% inhibition of stem elongation under the two irrigation regimes, respectively), while they increased the number of branches. The pod number plant-1, seed number plant-1, dry weight (g), nodule number plant-1, reducing sugar content (mg g-1 DW) and total phenols (mg g-1 DW) increased significantly in response to morphactin treatment at 200 mg L-1. Similarly, the thickness of the midrib, mesophyll, vascular bundle, xylem, cambium + phloem and xylem vessel in the main vascular bundle increased in response to treatment with morphactin at 200 mg L-1. Low irrigation regime (every 10 days) had adverse effect on the growth and anatomical features of soybean. Overall, it is recommended that 200 mg L-1 morphactin can be used for the stable production of soybean (Glycine max L. Merrill) in newly reclaimed sandy soils in Egypt. © 2009 Asian Network for Scientific Information.