Inhibition and recovery of symbiotic N2 fixation by peas (Pisum sativum L.) in response to short term nitrate exposure

International audience; Cereal-legume intercrops are a promising way to combine high productivity and several ecological benefits in temperate agro-ecosystems. However the proportion of each species in the mixture at harvest is highly variable. N-fertilisation may be a mean for controlling these proportions (Naudin et al., 2010). Symbiotic N2 fixation (SNF) can be inhibited by nitrate exposure. Although the effect of nitrate on SNF has been extensively investigated different scales, few studies have highlighted the impact of different timings of nitrate exposure on the SNF apparatus (N2 fixation rate and nodule biomass) and on its ability to recover after nitrates removal. The aim of this s…