| Abstract: | This study provides information on the concentration and quantity of starch, reducing sugars, total sugars, and non-reducing oligosaccharides in the organs of the common bean plant (Phaseolus vulgarisL cv Jamapa) during growth. The following observations were made: (1) the root, stems and branches were temporary carbohydrate storage organs; (2) until 80 days after sowing (DAS), the leaves were the major contributors to the non-structural carbohydrates of the whole plant; (3) during the developmental period studied, non-structural carbohydrate content in the rachis and pulvinus changed frequently; (4) the pod walls contained between 5 and 8% of total sugars at 72 DAS and by maturity soluble sugars diminished to less than 1%; (5) during seed growth (until 80 DAS), the pod walls contained between 11 and 18% starch (dry weight basis) and by maturity this carbohydrate had decreased to 2% of dry weight; and (6) starch represented the major non-structural storage carbohydrate in mature seeds (29%), as opposed to soluble sugars, which amounted to 2·3% of the dry weight. |
