Nodule growth and nitrogen fixation of Calopogonium mucunoides L. show low sensitivity to nitrate

The direct and interactive effects of elevated CO2 and additional nitrate on relative costs and benefits of legume-rhizobia symbiosis

Rising concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) is likely to have important effects on growth and development of plants and on their relationship with symbiotic microbes. A rise in CO2 could increase demand by plant hosts for nutrient resources, which may increase host investments in beneficial symbionts. In the legume-rhizobia mutualism, while elevated CO2 is often associated with increased nodule growth and investment in N2-fixing rhizobia, it is yet unclear if this response depends on the mutualistic quality of the rhizobia. To test if host carbon allocation towards more-beneficial nodules are similar to less-beneficial (but still effective) nodules when plant N demand changes, we manipulated plant C and N status with elevated CO2 and additional nitrate. We used two isogenic Rhizobium etli strains that differ in their ability to synthesize an energy reserve compound, poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate (PHB), as well as their efficiencies for nitrogen fixation and nodulation rates, resulting in two Phaseolus vulgaris host groups with either large number of small nodules or small number of large nodules. The addition of nitrate negatively affected carbon allocation towards nodules, and elevated CO2 reversed this effect, as expected. However, this alleviation of nodule inhibition was greater on plants that started with greater numbers of smaller nodules. If smaller nodules indicate less-efficient or low-fixing rhizobia, this study suggests that increased demand for nitrogen in the face of elevated CO2 has the potential to disproportionately favor less-beneficial strains and increase variation of nitrogen fixation quality among rhizobia.

Organic or Inorganic Nitrogen and Rhizobia Inoculation Provide Synergistic Growth Response of a Leguminous Forb and Tree

Our objective was to better understand how organic and inorganic nitrogen (N) forms supplied to a tree, Robinia pseudoacacia, and a perennial forb, Lupinus latifolius, affected plant growth and performance of their symbiotic, N-fixing rhizobia. In one experiment, we tested five sources of N [none; three inorganic forms (ammonium, nitrate, ammonium-nitrate); and an organic form (arginine)] in combination with or without rhizobia inoculation. We measured seedling morphology, allometry, nodule biomass, and N status. A second experiment explored combinations of supplied ¹⁵N and inoculation to examine if inorganic or organic N was deleterious to nodule N-fixation. Plant growth was similar among N forms. A positive response of nodule biomass to N was greater in Robinia than Lupinus. For Robinia, inorganic ammonium promoted more nodule biomass than organic arginine. N-fixation was concurrent with robust supply of either inorganic or organic N, and N supply and inoculation significantly interacted to enhance growth of Robinia. For Lupinus, the main effects of inoculation and N supply increased growth but no interaction was observed. Our results indicate that these important restoration species for forest ecosystems respond well to organic or inorganic N forms (or various forms of inorganic N), suggest that the nodulation response may depend on plant species, and show that, in terms of plant growth, N supply and nodulation can be synergistic.

Bradyrhizobium and Pseudomonas strains obtained from coal-mining areas nodulate and promote the growth of Calopogonium muconoides plants used in the reclamation of degraded areas

AIMS

The objective of this work was to isolate and characterize indigenous rhizobia from coal-mining areas able to efficiently nodulate and fix nitrogen in association with Calopogonium mucunoides (calopo).

METHODS AND RESULTS

Isolation, authentication and morphological, biochemical and molecular characterization of the autochthonous rhizobia were performed and their symbiotic efficiency (SE) evaluated. Efficient rhizobial isolates suitable for the inoculation of calopo in coal-mining regions were obtained. A total of 30 isolates were obtained after nodulation authentication, of which five presented high SE with plant-growth promoting traits such as indole-3-acetic acid production, phosphate solubilization and biofilm formation. These isolates were identified as belonging to Bradyrhizobium, Pseudomonas and Rhizobium.

CONCLUSIONS

Bradyrhizobium sp. A2-10 and Pseudomonas sp. A6-05 were able to promote calopo plant growth using soil obtained from coal-mining degraded areas, thus indicating their potential as inoculants aiming at land reclamation.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

To our knowledge, this is the first report of Pseudomonas nodule formation in calopo. Furthermore, the results demonstrated that autochthonous rhizobia obtained from degraded soils presented high SE in calopo and possess a wide range of plant-growth promoting traits. Ultimately, they may all contribute to an increased leguminous plant growth under stress conditions. The selected rhizobia strains may be used as inoculants and present a valuable role in the development of strategies aiming to recover coal-mining degraded areas. Bacterial inoculants would greatly reduce the use of often harmful nitrogen fertilizers vastly employed in revegetation programmes of degraded areas.

Características adaptativas da associação simbiótica e da fixação biológica do nitrogênio molecular em plantas jovens de Lonchocarpus muehlbergianus Hassl., uma leguminosa arbórea nativa do Cerrado

O nitrogênio mineral afeta negativamente a simbiose e a fixação biológica do nitrogênio em plantas cultivadas. Entretanto, este efeito não é verificado em algumas espécies arbóreas, pouco estudadas até o momento. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a capacidade de Lonchocarpus muehlbergianus, espécie arbórea nativa do Cerrado, em utilizar o nitrogênio molecular, na presença do nitrogênio mineral (nitrato), característica desejável para plantas fixadoras crescendo em solos com nitrato como principal forma de nitrogênio disponível. Foram determinados o número e a massa seca dos nódulos, da parte aérea e das raízes, bem como o conteúdo de nitrato, aminoácidos e ureídeos, transportados pelo xilema e a atividade da redutase do nitrato. Foi observado que o número e a massa seca dos nódulos não foram negativamente afetados pelo nitrato. Ocorreu pequeno aumento na massa seca da parte aérea e do sistema radicular de plantas noduladas tratadas com nitrato, resultado verificado também para os teores de aminoácidos, ureídeos e atividade da redutase do nitrato. Os resultados obtidos sugerem que a espécie tem capacidade de utilizar tanto nitrogênio mineral quanto molecular, uma vez que o transporte de ureídeos, do sistema radicular para a parte aérea, não foi reduzido em plantas noduladas tratadas com nitrato.