Skip to main content
Log in

The nitrogen fixing potential ofVicia faba rhizobia (R. leguminosarum) from different agricultural locations

  • Published:
Plant and Soil Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

The size and symbiotic effectiveness, withVicia faba, ofRhizobium leguminosarum populations from five locations in southern Britain has been estimated. Population numbers varied from 4.54×103 to 1.69×105. Nitrogen fixing potential differed by up to 30%. The implications of the results for improving the productivity of field beans are discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Amarger N 1974 Aspects microbiologique de la culture de la féverole au France. C R Acad. Agric. 60, 105–112.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Amarger N 1980 Aspects microbiologique de la culture des léguminenses. Le Sélectionneur français 28, 61–66.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Bergesen F J 1971 The central reaction of nitrogen fixation. Plant and Soil Spec. vol. 511–524.

  4. Bond D A 1984 Yield stability of faba beans and peas.In EEC Joint trials 1980–82.Vicia faba: Agronomy, Physiology and Breeding. Eds P D Hebblethwaithe. T C K Dawkins, M C Heath and B Lockwood, pp 177–184, Martinus Nijhoff/Dr W Junk, The The Hague.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Burton J C, Allen O N and Berger K C 1952 The prevalence of strains ofRhizobium phaseoli in some mid-western soils. Proc. Soil Sci. Soc. Amer. 16, 167–170.

    Google Scholar 

  6. De Escuder A M Q 1972 A survey of rhizobia in farm soils at Wye College, Kent. J. Appl. Bacteriol. 35, 109–118.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. El-Sherbeeny M H, Mytton L R and Lawes D A 1977 Symbiotic variability inVicia faba. 1. Genetic variation in theRhizobium leguminosarum population. Euphytica 26, 149–156.

    Google Scholar 

  8. El-Sherbeeny M H, Lawes D A and Mytton L R 1977 Symbiotic variability inVicia faba. 2. Genetic variation inVicia faba. Euphytica 26, 377–383.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Gibson A H, Curnow R W, Bergesen F J, Brockwell J and Robinson A C 1975 Studies of field populations of Rhizobium. Effectiveness of strains ofRhizobium trifolii associated withTrifolium subterraneum L. pastures in south-eastern Austraila. Soil Biol. Biochem. 7, 95–102.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Hagedorn C 1978 Effectiveness ofRhizobium trifolii populations associated withTrifolium subterraneum L. in southwest Oregon soils. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 42, 447–450.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Hardy R W F and Halvelka U D 1975 Nitrogen fixation research: A key to world foods. Science 188, 633–643.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Holding A J and King J 1963 The effectiveness of indigenous populations ofRhizobium trifolii in relation to soil factors. Plant and Soil 18, 191–197.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Minchin F R and Pate J S 1973 The carbon balance of a legume and the functional economy of its root nodules. J. Exptl. Bot. 2, 259–271.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Mytton L R 1981 Breeding legumes for symbiotic characters. Current perspectives in nitrogen fixation.In Proceedings of the Fourth International Symposium on Nitrogen Fixation. Canberra 1980 Eds. A H Gibson and W E Newton pp 420.

  15. Mytton L R 1983 Host plant selection and breeding for improved symbiotic efficiency.In The Physiology, Genetics and Nodulation of Temperate Legumes. Eds. D G Jones and D R Davies. Pitman Books Ltd. London. pp 373–393.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Mytton L R 1984 Developing a breeding strategy to exploit quantitative variation in symbiotic nitrogen fixation. Plant and Soil 82, 329–335.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Mytton L R, Brockwell J and Gibson A H 1984 The potential for breeding an improved Lucerne-Rhizobium symbiosis. 1. Assessment of genetic variation. Euphytica 33, 401–410.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Mytton L R, El-Sherbeeny M J and Lawes D A 1977 Symbiotic variability inVicia faba. 3. Genetic effects of host plant, Rhizobium strain and of host x strain interaction. Euphytica 26, 785–791.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Mytton L R and Livesey C J 1983 Specific and general effectiveness ofRhizobium trifolii populations from different agricultural locations. Plant and Soil 73, 299–305.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Postgate J R and Cannon F C 1981 The molecular and genetic manipulation of nitrogen fixation.In The Manipulation of Genetic Systems in Plant Breeding. The Royal Society, London. pp 189–199.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Ryle G J A, Powell C E and Gordon A J 1978 Effect of source of nitrogen on the growth of Fiskeby soya bean: the carbon economy of whole plants. Ann. Bot. 42, 637–648.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Rys G J and Bonish P M 1981 Effectiveness ofRhizobium trifolii populations associated withTrifolium species in Taranaki, New Zealand. J. Exp. Agric.9, 327–335.

    Google Scholar 

  23. Salsac L, Drevon J J, Zengbé M, Cleyet-Marel J C and Obaton M 1984 Energy requirement of symbiotic nitrogen fixation. Physiol. Veg. 22, 509–521.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Schubert K R and Ryle G J A 1979 The energy requirements for N2 fixation in nodulated legumes.In Advances in Legume Science. Proceedings of the International Legume Conference, Kew 1978, Vol. 1, Eds. R J Summerfield and A H Bunting. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. pp. 85–96.

    Google Scholar 

  25. Silsbury J H 1977 Energy requirements for symbiotic nitrogen fixation. Nature 267, 149–150.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Silsbury J H 1979 Growth maintenance and nitrogen fixation of nodulated plants of subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum L.). Aust. J. Pl. Physiol. 6, 165–176.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Snedecor G W and Cochran G 1967 Statistical methods. 6th Ed. Iowa State University Press, Ames.

    Google Scholar 

  28. Sprent J I and Bradford A M 1977 Nitrogen fixation in field beans (Vicia faba) as affected by population density, shading and its relationship with soil moisture. J. Agric. Sci., Camb. 88, 303–310.

    Google Scholar 

  29. Thornton H G 1946 Distribution of clover nodule bacteria in Great Britain. Ann. Rep. Rothamsted Exptl. Stn. for 139–1945. p. 75.

  30. Vincent J M 1970 A Manual for the Practical Study of Root-nodule Bacteria. IBP Handbook No. 15, Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford.

    Google Scholar 

  31. Wilson J K 1926 Legume bacteria population of the soil. J. Am. Soc. Agron. 18, 911–919.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Sorwli, F.K., Mytton, L.R. The nitrogen fixing potential ofVicia faba rhizobia (R. leguminosarum) from different agricultural locations. Plant Soil 92, 249–254 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02372638

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02372638

Key words

Navigation