Analysis of Nitrate Absorption and Transport in Non-nodulated and Nodulated Soybean Plants with 13NO3- and 15NO3-

Nodulating (T202) and non-nodulating (T201) soybean isolines were hydroponically cultivated, then nitrate labeled with 13N or 15N, was added to the culture solution in order to investigate the nitrate absorption and transport in soybean. The accumulation pattern of the absorbed 13N in the first trifoliate was observed by positron emitting tracer imaging system (PETIS) as well as bioimaging analyzer system (BAS). The 15N abundance of each part was determined by emission sjectrometrv. Real time changes in two dimensional image of the radioactivity could be monitored by PETIS, besides the distribution 13N in whole plant could be observed by BAS. However quantitative data were hardly obtained by the 13N analysis. Stable isotope 15N is more reliable in the quantitative analysis in each part. Combing the data obtained by 15N and 13N tracer experiments, the absorption and translocation of N in plant should be more clearly figured out.