Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-xm8r8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-22T14:54:34.708Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

The Effect of Strain of Rhizobium and of Temperature on Nodulation and Early Growth of Trifolium semipilosum

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 October 2008

R. J. Roughley
Affiliation:
NSW Department of Agriculture, Horticultural Research Station, PO Box 720, Gosford, NSW 2250Australia
R. A. Date
Affiliation:
CSIRO, Division of Tropical Crops and Pastures, 306 Carmody Road, St Lucia, Qld 4067, Australia

Summary

The effect of strain of Rhizobium and of temperature on nodule formation and early growth of Trifolium semipilosum was studied in controlled environment cabinets. Time required for nodules to form was affected by strain of Rhizobium and by root temperature, acting independently. Strains CB788 and CB2116 required only 9.5 to 10.0 days, averaging over temperatures, whereas strains CB782 and CB526 required 12.8 to 13.0 days. Nodulation was earliest at whole-plant temperatures of 25/20°C and 30/25°C day/night (average 9.5 days); 15 days were required at 20/15°C. Nodule number was independent of bacterial strain but dependent on temperature; nodules were fewest in the lowest and most in the highest temperature regime. Plant yield was determined by interactions between temperature and strain and was generally greatest at whole plant temperatures of 25/20°C.

When nodulated plants growing at 25°C were transferred to a range of root temperatures, plants grew best at 20° and 25°C and with strains CB782 and CB2116.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1986

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Anon. (1965). The African clovers. Rural Research 50:810.Google Scholar
Bushby, H. V. A., Date, R. A., Norris, D. O. & Panitz, R. B. (1984). Rhizobium screening for a range of crop and pasture legumes: Lists of strains of Rhizobium and host legumes forming effective nitrogen fixing associations. CSIRO Division Tropical Crops and Pastures. Genetic Resources Communication No. 7. St Lucia, Australia: CSIRO.Google Scholar
Date, R. A. (1971). Nodulation of Trifolium semipilosum. CSIRO Division of Tropical Pastures. Annual Report 1970–71, pp. 4850. St Lucia, Australia: CSIRO.Google Scholar
Gibson, A. H. (1963). Physical environment and symbiotic nitrogen fixation. L The effect of root temperature on recently nodulated Trifolium subterraneum L. plants. Australian Journal of Biological Science 16:2842.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gibson, A. H. (1967). Physical environment and symbiotic nitrogen fixation. IV. Factors affecting the early stages of nodulation. Australian Journal of Biological Science 20:10871104.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gibson, A. H. (1977). The influence of the environment and managerial practices on the legume-Rhizobium symbiosis. In A Treatise on Dinitrogen Fixation. Section IV Agronomy and Ecology (Eds Hardy, R. W. F. & Gibson, A. H.). New York: John Wiley.Google Scholar
Herridge, D. H. & Roughley, R. J. (1975). Variation in colony characteristics and symbiotic effectiveness of Rhizobium. Journal of Applied Bacteriology 38:1927.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jones, R. J. (1973). The effect of cutting management on the yield, chemical composition and in vitro digestibility of Trifolium semipilosum grown with Paspalum dilatatum in a subtropical environment. Tropical Grasslands 7:277284.Google Scholar
Jones, R. J. & Jones, R. M. (1982). Observations of the persistence and potential for beef production of pastures based on Trifolium semipilosum and Leucaena leucocephala in subtropical coastal Queensland. Tropical Grasslands 16:2429.Google Scholar
Lie, T. A. (1974). Environmental effects on nodulation and symbiotic nitrogen fixation. In The Biology of Nitrogen Fixation (Ed. Quispel, A.). Amsterdam: North Holland Publishing Co.Google Scholar
Mwakha, E. (1969). Observations on the effect of temperature on the growth of Trifolium semipilosum Fres. East African Agricultural Forestry Journal 34:289292.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Norris, D. O. & Date, R. A. (1976). Legume Bacteriology. In Tropical Pasture Research: Principles and Methods (Eds Shaw, N. H. & Bryan, W. W..) Bulletin Commonwealth Bureau Pastures Field Crops No. 51.Google Scholar
Norris, D. O. & Mannetje, L. 't (1964). The symbiotic specialization of African Trifolium spp. in relation to their taxonomy and their agronomic use. East African Agricultural Forestry Journal 29:214235.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pankhurst, C. E. & Gibson, A. H. (1973). Rhizobium strain influence on disruption of clover nodule development at high root temperature. Journal General Microbiology 74:219231.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Roughley, R. J. (1976). The production of high quality inoculants and their contribution to legume yield. In Symbiotic Nitrogen Fixation in Plants (Ed. Nutman, P. S..) Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Small, J. G. C. & Joffe, A. (1968). Physiological studies on the genus Trifolium with special reference to the South African species. II. Influence of root temperature on growth, nodulation and symbiotic nitrogen fixation. South African Journal of Agricultural Science 11:4156.Google Scholar
Vincent, J. M. (1970). A Manual for the Practical Study of the Root-nodule Bacteria. IBP Bulletin No. 15. London: Blackwells Scientific.Google Scholar