Abstract
Discaria americana is a xerophytic shrub which lives in symbiosis with an actinomycete of the genus Frankia. The objective of this paper was to investigate the effects of high soil Zn2+ concentrations on growth and nodulation on the association Discaria americana–Frankia with the aim of determining if this association is suitable for improving contaminated soils. Two experiments were performed in 1 dm3 pots containing soil and different Zn additions, from 0 to 2,000 mg Zn2+ kg−1 dry soil, with or without N fertilization.
Zn additions strongly delayed shoot and root growth, but once growth was initiated, the biomass production of the plants supplied with moderate Zn amounts did not differ from the control plants. Zn reduced the final nodule number, but not the total nodule biomass. At the end of the experiment only the highest Zn treatments showed a lower nodule weight than the control plants, while N addition completely inhibited nodulation. It is concluded than Zn reduces the number of Frankia infections, but once the actinomycete is inside the roots, nodules can continue growing according to plant demand for N, compensating the reduced nodule number with more biomass. On the other hand, there is a toxic effect of Zn itself on plants when present in very high concentrations.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Baker D (1989) Methods for the isolation, culture, and characterization of the Frankiaceae: soil actinomycetes and symbionts of actinorhizal plants. In: Labeda DP (ed) Isolation of biotechnical organism from nature. Mc Graw-Hill, NY, pp 213–236
Baker D (1990) Introduction. In: Schwintzer CR, Tjepkema JD (eds) The biology of actinorhizal plants. Academic Press, San Diego, pp 1–13
Black CA, Evans A, Whith JL, Eusiminger LE, Clark FE (1965) Chemical and microbiological properties. In: Methods of soil analysis. Amer Soc Agron, pp 122–130
Cusato M, Tortosa RD (1993) Presence of sporangia of Frankia in the rhizosphere of Discaria (Rhamnaceae). Plant Soil 48:285–288
Dommergues Y (1996) La fixation d’ azote chez les plantes actinorhiziennes et ses applications. Acta Bot Gallica 143:663–679
Dommergues Y (1997) Contribution of actinorhizal plants to tropical soil productivity, rehabilitation. Soil Biol Biochem 29:931–941
Giuffré L, Ratto S, Marbán L, Schonwald J, Romaniuk R (2005) Riesgo por metales pesados en horticultura urbana. Ciencia del suelo 23:101–106
Guitman MR, Arnozis MR, Barneix AJ (1991) Effect of source-sink relations, nitrogen nutrition on senescence, N remobilization in the flag leaf of wheat. Physiol Plant 82:278–284
Hall JL (2002) Cellular mechanisms for heavy metal detoxification, tolerance. J Exp Bot 53:1–11
Hensley DL, Carpenter PL (1987) The effect of cadmium on growth, acetylene reduction in Alnus glutinosa. Hort Sci 222:69–70
Huss-Danell K (1997) Actinorhizal symbioses, their N2 fixation. New Phytol 136:385–405
Igual JM, Rodriguez-Barrueco C, Cervantes E (1997) The effects of aluminium on nodulation, symbiotic nitrogen fixation in Casuarina cunninghamiana Miq. Plant Soil 190:41–46
Kramer U (2000) Cadmium for all meals-plants with an unusual appetite. New Phytol 145:1–5
Lasat MM (2002) Phytoextraction of toxic metals: a review of biological mechanisms. J Environ Qual 31:109–120
Lavado RS, Rodriguez MB, Scheiner JD, Taboada MA, Rubio G, Alvarez R, Alconada M, Zubillaga MS (1998) Heavy metals in soils of Argentina: comparison between urban, agricultural soils. Commun Soil Sci Plant Anal 29:1913–1917
Llosa R, Noriega G, Negro de Aguirre E, Kesten E (1990) Niveles de plomo, cadmio, zinc y cobre en suelos del área metropolitana y suburbana de Buenos Aires. Ciencia del Suelo 8:3–8
Medan D, Tortosa RD (1976) Nódulos radicales en Discaria y Colletia (Ramnáceas). Bol Soc Argent Bot 17:323–336
Mench MJ, Manceau A, Vangronsveld J, Clusters H, Mocquot B (2000) Capacity of soil amendments in lowering the phytoavailability of sludge-borne zinc. Agronomie 20:383–397
Richards JW, Krumholz GD, Chval MS, Tisa LS (2002) Heavy metal resistance patterns of Frankia strains. Appl Environ Microbiol 68:923–927
Tortosa RD (1983) El género Discaria (Rhamnaceae). Bol Soc Argent Bot 22:301–335
Tortosa RD, Cusato M (1991) Effective nodulation of rhamnaceous actinorhizal plants by air dry soils. Plant Soil 131:229–233
Wall LG (2000) The Actinorhizal Symbiosis. J Plant Growth Regul 19:167–182
Wheeler CT, Hughes LT, Oldroyd J, Pulford ID (2001) Effects of nickel on Frankia, its symbiosis with Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn. Plant Soil 231:81–90
Wickliff C, Evans HJ, Carter KTR, Russell SA (1980) Cadmium effects in nitrogen fixation system of red alder. J Environ Qual 9:180–184
Acknowledgements
Funding of this research was provided by the Universidad de Buenos Aires and from Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Argentina (CONICET).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Cusato, M.S., Tortosa, R.D., Valiente, L. et al. Effects of Zn2+ on nodulation and growth of a South American actinorhizal plant, Discaria americana (Rhamnaceae). World J Microbiol Biotechnol 23, 771–777 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11274-006-9295-1
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11274-006-9295-1