Effects of P Nutrition on the Leaf Anatomic Structure of Common Beans

Common bean genotypes were studied for their leaf anatomic response to low P in the hydroponic experiments. The results indicated that P deficiency decreased P uptake and inhibited the growth of plants. Under low phosphorus conditions, the middle-leaf thickness, thickness of palisade tissue and spongy tissue(except DOR 60), cell number of palisade tissue also increased, while most cell and vacuole areas decreased. There was genotypic variation in response to low P. The P efficient large-seeded genotypes tended to have more cell numbers per tissue area but smaller cell area per cell.