Abstract
Forty one strains ofRhizobium phaseoli were screened for the ability to multiply at high temperatures on yeast extract-mannitol agar. Most strains were tolerant of 30°C, eight strains were tolerant of 45°C and two of 47°C although the rate of multiplication was reduced at 45–47°C. The high temperature-tolerant strains were isolated from Kenyan soils and were fast-growing. Seven of the eight strains tolerant of 45–47°C lost their infectiveness after incubation at high temperature but four strains tolerant of 40°C remained infective after incubation at that temperature.
Thirty six strains were resistant to 200 μg ml−1 streptomycin sulphate and 29 strains to 200 μg ml−1 spectinomycin dihydrochloride. Eight strains were resistant to both antibiotics each at 200 μg ml−1. Two of the double-labelled antibiotic-resistant mutants lost their infectiveness onPhaseolus vulgaris. The response to acidity was unaltered and two of the mutants showed a decrease in temperature tolerance. The doublelabelled mutants were recoverable from two Kenyan soils.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alexander M 1982 Ecology of Rhizobium.In Biological Nitrogen Fixation Ecology, Technology and Physiology. Ed. M Alexander. pp 39–50. Plenum Press, London.
Ayanaba A 1977 Towards better use of inoculants in the humid tropics.In Biological Nitrogen Fixation in Farming Systems of the Tropics. Eds. A Ayanaba and P J Dart. pp 181–187. John Wiley and Sons Ltd, Chichester.
Bowen G D and Kennedy M M 1959 Effect of high soil temperature onRhizobium spp. Queensl. J. Agric. Res. 16, 177–197.
Brockwell J, Schwinghamer E A and Gault R R 1977 Ecological studies of root-nodule bacteria introduced into field environments. V. A critical examination of the stability of antigenic and streptomycin-resistance markers for identification of strains ofRhizobium trifolii. Soil Biol. Biochem. 9, 19–24.
Burton J C 1976 Methods of inoculating seeds and their effects on survival of rhizobia.In Symbiotic N-fixation in Plants. Ed. P S Nutman. pp 175–198. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Chatel D L and Parker C A 1973 Survival of field grown rhizobia over the dry summer periods in Western Australia. Soil Biol. Biochem. 5, 415–423.
Day J M, Roughley R J, Eaglesham A R J, Dye M and White S P 1978 Effect of high temperature on nodulation of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata). Ann. Appl. Biol. 88, 476–481.
Eaglesham A, Seaman B, Ahmed H, Hassouna S, Ayanaba A and Mulongoy K 1981 High temperature tolerance ‘cowpea’ rhizobia.In Current Perspectives in Nitrogen Fixation. Eds. A H Gibson and W E Newton. p436. Aust. Acad. Sci., Canberra.
Gibson A H 1967 Physical environment and symbiotic nitrogen fixation IV Factors affecting early nodulation studies. Aust. J. Biol. Sci. 20, 1087–1104.
Karanja N and Wood M 1988 SelectingRhizobium phaseoli strains for use with beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) in Kenya: Infectiveness and tolerance of acidity and aluminium. Plant and Soil 112, 7–13.
Levin R A and Montgomery M P 1974 Symbiotic effectiveness of antibiotic-resistant mutants ofR. japonicum. Plant and Soil 41, 669–676.
Miles A A and Misra S S 1938 The estimation of bactericidal power of blood. J. Hyg. Camb. 38, 732–749.
Munevar F and Wollum II A G 1981 Growth ofRhizobium japonicum strains at temperatures above 29°C. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 42, 255–258.
Obaton M 1973 The use of spontaneous antibiotic resistant mutants for the ecological study ofRhizobium. Bull. Ecol. Res. Commu. 17, 170–171.
Parker C A, Trinick M J and Chatel D L 1977 Rhizobia as soil and rhizosphere inhabitants.In A Treatise on Dinitrogen Fixation IV. Agronomy and Ecology. Eds. R W F Hardy and A H Gibson pp 311–352. John Wiley and Sons Ltd., Chichester.
Pankhurst C E 1977 Symbiotic effectiveness of antibiotic-resistant mutants of fast- and slow-growing strains ofRhizobium nodulating Lotus species. Can. J. Microbiol. 23, 1026–1033.
Schwinghamer E A 1967 Effectiveness ofRhizobium spp. modified by mutation for resistance to antibiotics. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 33, 121–136.
Schwinghamer E A and Dudman W F 1973 Evaluation of spectinomycin resistance as a marker for ecological studies withRhizobium spp. J. appl. Bact. 36, 263–272.
Siderius W and Muchena F N 1977 Soils and environmental conditions of Agricultural Research Stations in Kenya. Misc. Soil paper No. M5.
Somasegaran P, Reyes V G and Hoben H J 1984 The influence of high temperatures on the growth and survival ofRhizobium spp. in peat inoculants during preparation storage and distribution. Can. J. Microbiol. 30, 23–30.
Zurkowski W and Lorkiewicz Z 1978 Effective methods for the isolation of non-modulating mutants ofRhizobium trifolii. Genet. Res. Camb. 32, 311–314.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Karanja, N.K., Wood, M. SelectingRhizobium phaseoli strains for use with beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) in Kenya: Tolerance of high temperature and antibiotic resistance. Plant Soil 112, 15–22 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02181747
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02181747