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A microcosm study on the influence of pH and the host-plant on the soil persistence of two alfalfa-nodulating rhizobia with different saprophytic and symbiotic characteristics

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Abstract

The acid tolerance of Sinorhizobium meliloti in culture media and in soils is considered a useful criteria to select for strains with improved survival in agricultural acidic soils. Using a glass tube system with gamma-irradiated soil at different pH values, we analysed the survival of two different alfalfa-nodulating rhizobia: S. meliloti (pHlimit for growth 5.6–6.0) and the acid-tolerant Rhizobium sp. LPU83, closely related to the strain Rhizobium sp. Or191 (pHlimit for growth below 5.0). Although the acid-tolerant rhizobia showed a slightly better survival during the first months in acid soil (pH=5.6), none of the strains could be detected 2 months after inoculation (bacterial counts were below 103 colony-forming units (cfu)/30 g of soil). The inclusion of two alfalfa plants/glass tube with soil, however, supported the persistence of both types of rhizobia at pH 5.6 for over 2 months with counts higher than 9×106 cfu/30 g of soil. Remarkably, in the presence of alfalfa the cell densities reached by S. meliloti were higher than those reached by strain LPU83, which started to decline 1 week after inoculation. Although more acid-sensitive in the culture medium than the Or191-like rhizobia, in the presence of the host plant the S. meliloti strains showed to be better adapted to the free-living condition, irrespective of the pH of the soil.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by grants PEI98-377, PIP2000-2681 (CONICET), PICT2000-08-09834 (ANPCyT-FONCyT) and FONTAGRO-BID-FTG/RF-01–03-RG. A.L. is member of the Research Career of CONICET. M.F.D.P. and W.O.D. were supported by CONICET fellowships.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Calles 47 y 115, 1900, La Plata, Argentina

    M. F. Del Papa, M. Pistorio, L. J. Balagué, W. O. Draghi & A. Lagares

  2. Lehrstuhl für Genetik, Fakultät für Biologie, Universität Bielefeld, 33501, Bielefeld, Germany

    C. Wegener & K. Niehaus

  3. IMYZA–Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Castelar, Argentina

    A. Perticari

Authors
  1. M. F. Del Papa
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  2. M. Pistorio
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  3. L. J. Balagué
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  4. W. O. Draghi
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  5. C. Wegener
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  6. A. Perticari
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  7. K. Niehaus
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  8. A. Lagares
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Correspondence to A. Lagares.

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Del Papa, M.F., Pistorio, M., Balagué, L.J. et al. A microcosm study on the influence of pH and the host-plant on the soil persistence of two alfalfa-nodulating rhizobia with different saprophytic and symbiotic characteristics. Biol Fertil Soils 39, 112–116 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-003-0690-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-003-0690-6

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