Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) seeds with high molybdenum concentration can adequately supply the crop demand of this nutrient. Two experiments were conducted in a greenhouse to evaluate the effect of Mo-enriched seeds, obtained from plants treated with foliar fertilization, on growth and N accumulation by common bean plants. The soil substrate was the A horizon of a Haplustult (3.5 kg pots), which were limed and fully fertilized with exception of Mo. The first experiment had a 3 x 2 x 2 factorial design with five replications: three bean cultivars, two seed Mo concentrations, and two harvest dates. In plants of the three cultivars originating from seeds with high Mo concentration, the shoot biomass and N accumulation were higher at both harvests. Seeds with high Mo concentration increased the nodule mass of cultivars Manteigão and Rio Tibagi 30 days after emergence (DAE) but reduced biomass and number of nodules in the cultivars Carioca and Manteigão 45 DAE. High seed Mo concentration increased the nitrogenase activity 30 DAE and the specific nitrogenase activity 45 DAE. The second experiment had a 2 x 2 x 4 factorial design with five replications: two bean cultivars, two seed Mo concentrations, and four harvest dates. The shoot mass in plants originating from seeds with high Mo concentration was higher 47 and 59 DAE, and shoot N accumulation was higher 59 DAT. High seed Mo concentration did not affect nodulation until 45 DAE, but reduced nodule number 59 DAE. The reduced nodulation at the pod filling stage observed in both experiments, in plants grown from seeds with high Mo concentration, can be due to the improved growth of these plants, which may have anticipated the translocation of assimilates to pods. It can be concluded that Mo-enriched seeds, harvested from plants treated with foliar fertilizer, can stimulate nitrogenase activity and increase biomass and N accumulation in common bean plants.
foliar fertilization; genotype; nodulation; Phaseolus vulgaris; seed
