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Assessing N2 Fixation in Annual Legumes using 15N Natural Abundance

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Stable Isotope Techniques in the Study of Biological Processes and Functioning of Ecosystems

Part of the book series: Current Plant Science and Biotechnology in Agriculture ((PSBA,volume 40))

Abstract

This chapter serves as an introduction to the use of natural variations in 15N for estimating N2 fixation by field-grown annual legumes. While all of the examples cited come from Australian studies, the principles illustrated can be applied effectively in any region. Much of the material is extracted from that presented in Unkovich et al. (1994b, 1997) and Pate et al. (1994) and complements the chapter in this volume by Peoples et al. dealing with perennial woody and herbaceous legumes.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Legumes in Mediterranean Agriculture (CLIMA) and Department of Botany, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia

    Murray Unkovich & John S. Pate

  2. Mallee Research Station, Victorian Institute of Dryland Agriculture, Walpeup Victoria, 3507, Australia

    Murray Unkovich

Authors
  1. Murray Unkovich
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  2. John S. Pate
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Botany, The University of Western Australia, Australia

    Murray Unkovich  & John Pate  & 

  2. Centre for Legumes in Mediterranean Agriculture, The University of Western Australia, Australia

    Murray Unkovich , John Pate , Ann McNeill  & D. Jane Gibbs , ,  & 

  3. Victorian Institute for Dryland, Agriculture, Mallee Research Station, Walpeup, Australia

    Murray Unkovich

  4. Roseworthy Campus — Agronomy and Farming Systems, The University of Adelaide, Australia

    Ann McNeill

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© 2001 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

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Unkovich, M., Pate, J.S. (2001). Assessing N2 Fixation in Annual Legumes using 15N Natural Abundance. In: Unkovich, M., Pate, J., McNeill, A., Gibbs, D.J. (eds) Stable Isotope Techniques in the Study of Biological Processes and Functioning of Ecosystems. Current Plant Science and Biotechnology in Agriculture, vol 40. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-9841-5_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-9841-5_6

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-90-481-5736-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-015-9841-5

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