Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy & Radiative Transfer 103 (2007) 331–339 Determination of replacement of some inorganic elements in pulvinus of bean (Phaseolus vulgaris cv. Gina 2004) at chilling temperature by the WDXRF spectroscopic technique Rahmi Dumlupinar a,Ã , Faruk Demir b , Gokhan Budak b , Abdulhalik Karabulut b , Nuray Kadi c , Halil Karakurt c , Serkan Erdal a a Department of Botany, Faculty of Science and Art, Ataturk University, 25240 Erzurum, Turkey b Department of Physics, Faculty of Science and Art, Ataturk University, 25240 Erzurum, Turkey c Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agricultural Engineering, Ataturk University, 25240 Erzurum, Turkey Received 20 December 2005; accepted 6 February 2006 Abstract In this study, bean seedlings (Phaseolus vulgaris cv. Gina 2004) were exposed to chilling temperatures until leaves are wrinkled (9 day), that is, showed nyctinastic movement. Pulvinus were subsequently were cut from the leaves. Concentrations of inorganic elements (P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Cu) in the pulvinus were measured by wavelength-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (WDXRF) spectrometry. Results indicated that concentration change (%) was not significant for Ca (0.82) but it was significant for K, P, Cl, S, and especially Cu concentrations (5.4%, 12.8%, 40.2%, 43.7%, 365%, respectively) in pulvinus of plants exposed to chilling temperature compared with control group. We hypothesize here the presence of association between nyctinasti movement brought about by pulvinus at chilling temperature in bean and changes of K, P, Cl, S and especially Cu concentrations measured by WDXRF analysis method. r 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Nyctinasti; Leaf movement; Inorganic element; Chilling; WDXRF analysis; Bean; Phaseolus vulgaris 1. Introduction Studies of leaf movements have elucidated some basic scientific truths. Analyses of these movements in the early 18th century provided the first clue that organisms have internal clocks [1], and subsequent studies are providing useful information on light–rhythm interaction in biological time keeping. Investigation of seismonasty in Mimosa pudica and the carnivorous plants has revealed that electrical signals propagate through plants [2,3] as well as animals and are an important means of communication among the different cells of the plant body [4]. In nyctinastic plants, there are two cells group (extensor motor cells and flexor motor cells) that causes movement of pulvinus [5]. Extensor motor cells increase turgor during leaf opening and decrease turgor during ARTICLE IN PRESS www.elsevier.com/locate/jqsrt 0022-4073/$ - see front matter r 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.jqsrt.2006.02.060 Ã Corresponding author. Tel.: +904422314331; fax: +904422360948. E-mail addresses: rdumlu@atauni.edu.tr, rdumlupinar@hotmail.com (R. Dumlupinar).