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Journal article
Competition in the Phaseolus vulgaris-Rhizobium symbiosis and the role of resident soil rhizobia in determining the outcomes of inoculation
Plant and Soil, Vol.487, pp.61-77
2023
Abstract
Background and Aims
Inoculation of legumes with effective N2-fixing rhizobia is a common practice to improve farming profitability and sustainability. To succeed, inoculant rhizobia must overcome competition for nodulation by resident soil rhizobia that fix N2 ineffectively. In Kenya, where Phaseolus vulgaris (common bean) is inoculated with highly effective Rhizobium tropici CIAT899 from Colombia, response to inoculation is low, possibly due to competition from ineffective resident soil rhizobia. Here, we evaluate the competitiveness of CIAT899 against diverse rhizobia isolated from cultivated Kenyan P. vulgaris.
Methods
The ability of 28 Kenyan P. vulgaris strains to nodulate this host when co-inoculated with CIAT899 was assessed. Rhizosphere competence of a subset of strains and the ability of seed inoculated CIAT899 to nodulate P. vulgaris when sown into soil with pre-existing populations of rhizobia was analyzed.
Results
Competitiveness varied widely, with only 27% of the test strains more competitive than CIAT899 at nodulating P. vulgaris. While competitiveness did not correlate with symbiotic effectiveness, five strains were competitive against CIAT899 and symbiotically effective. In contrast, rhizosphere competence strongly correlated with competitiveness. Soil rhizobia had a position-dependent numerical advantage, outcompeting seed-inoculated CIAT899 for nodulation of P. vulgaris, unless the resident strain was poorly competitive.
Conclusion
Suboptimally effective rhizobia can outcompete CIAT899 for nodulation of P. vulgaris. If these strains are widespread in Kenyan soils, they may largely explain the poor response to inoculation. The five competitive and effective strains characterized here are candidates for inoculant development and may prove better adapted to Kenyan conditions than CIAT899.
Details
- Title
- Competition in the Phaseolus vulgaris-Rhizobium symbiosis and the role of resident soil rhizobia in determining the outcomes of inoculation
- Authors/Creators
- G.M. Mwenda - Murdoch UniversityYvette Hill - Murdoch University, Centre for Sustainable Farming SystemsGraham O'Hara - Murdoch University, Centre for Sustainable Farming SystemsWayne Reeve - Murdoch University, Centre for Sustainable Farming SystemsJ.G. Howieson - Murdoch UniversityJason J Terpolilli (Author) - Murdoch University, Centre for Sustainable Farming Systems
- Publication Details
- Plant and Soil, Vol.487, pp.61-77
- Publisher
- Springer
- Identifiers
- 991005552670007891
- Copyright
- © 2023 The Authors
- Murdoch Affiliation
- Centre for Sustainable Farming Systems; School of Medical, Molecular and Forensic Sciences
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article
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Source: InCites
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Citation topics
- 3 Agriculture, Environment & Ecology
- 3.97 Plant Pathology
- 3.97.892 Rhizobium-Legume Symbiosis
- Web Of Science research areas
- Agronomy
- Plant Sciences
- Soil Science
- ESI research areas
- Agricultural Sciences