Fig. 1.

Total non-structural carbohydrates (TNC) in the leaves of soybean (A), French bean (B) and azuki bean (C) at the end of the day and night before and after the experimental treatments. Control plants before the treatments (Ct₀) were grown under control growth conditions (Ct), defoliated (De), transferred to low N conditions (LN), transferred to low N conditions and defoliated (LNDe), or transferred to high light (HL). They were harvested at 6 days after the treatments (DAT), and soybean plants of Ct and De were also obtained at 10 and 15 DAT. Values of Ct, De, LN, LNDe and HL in all the species were obtained at 6 DAT, and those of Ct and De in soybean were also obtained at 10 and 15 DAT. White bars represent values at the end of the day, and black bars represent values at the end of the night. Values are means ± s.d. (n = 6–12). Values of Ct were compared with those of De, LN, LNDe and HL by Dunnett’s test (*P < 0.05, n.s. P > 0.05) following ANOVA. Values of Ct and De in soybean at 10 and 15 DAT were compared by Student’s t-test (**P < 0.01, *P < 0.05, n.s. P > 0.05).