Abstract
The effects of soil type (an acid peat and 2 acid brown earths) andFrankia source (3 spore-positive crushed nodule inocula and spore-negative crushed nodules containing the singleFrankia ArI5) on nodulation, N content and growth ofAlnus glutinosa andA. rubra were determined in a glasshouse pot experiment of two years duration. Plants on all soils required additional P for growth. Growth of both species was very poor on peat withA. glutinosa superior toA. rubra. The former species was also superior toA. rubra on an acid brown earth with low pH and low P content. Some plant-inoculum combinations were of notable effectivity on particular soils but soil type was the major source of variation in plant weight. Inoculation with crushed nodules containingFrankia ArI5 only gave poor infection of the host plant, suggesting that inoculation with locally-collected crushed nodules can be a preferred alternative to inoculation withFrankia isolates of untested effectivity. Evidence of adaptation ofFrankia to particular soils was obtained. Thus, while the growth of all strains was stimulated by mineral soil extracts, inhibitory effects of peat extracts were more apparent with isolates from nodules from mineral soils than from peat, suggesting that survival ofFrankia on peat may be improved by strain selection.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Arveby A S and Huss-Danell K 1988 Presence and spreading of infectiveFrankia in peat and meadow soils in Sweden. Biol. Fertil. Soils 5, 1–6.
Benson D R and Hanna D 1983Frankia diversity in an alder stand as estimated by sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of whole-cell proteins. Can. J. Bot. 61, 2919–2923.
Dillon J T and Baker D 1982 Variations in nitrogenase activity among pure culturedFrankia strains tested on actinorhizal plants as an indication of symbiotic compatibility. New Phytol. 92, 215–219.
Hooker J E 1987 Variation inFrankia strains isolated fromAlnus root nodules. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Glasgow, p. 288.
Hooker J E and Wheeler C T 1987 The effectivity ofFrankia for nodulation and nitrogen fixation inAlnus rubra andAlnus glutinosa. Physiol. Plant. 70, 333–341.
Houwers A and Akkermans A D L 1981 Influence of inoculation on yield ofAlnus glutinosa in the Netherlands. Plant and Soil 61, 189–202.
Huss-Danell K and Frej A-K 1986 Distribution ofFrankia in soils from forests and afforestation sites in northern Sweden. Plant and Soil 90, 407–418.
Jalal M A F and Read D J 1983 The organic acid composition ofCalluna heathland soil with special reference to phyto- and fungitoxicity. I. Isolation and identification of organic acids. Plant and Soil 70, 257–272.
Malcolm D C, Hooker J E and Wheeler C T 1985Frankia symbiosis as a source of nitrogen in forestry: A case study of symbiotic nitrogen fixation in a mixedAlnus-Picea plantation in Scotland. Proc. Roy. Soc. Edin. 85B, 263–282.
McVean D N 1962 The establishment of alder on peatland and its possible role in afforestation. Irish Forestry, 19, 81–84.
McVean D N 1963 Scots Pine, Alder and Bog Myrtle. Report of the Nature Conservancy, London, 78–79.
Normand P and Lalonde M 1982 Evaluation ofFrankia strains isolated from provenances of twoAlnus species. Can. J. Microb. 28, 1133–1142.
Parker J A and Allen S E 1975 A wet oxidation procedure suitable for the determination of N and mineral nutrients in biological material. Commun. Soil Sci. and Plant Anal. 6, 1–11
Perradin Y, Mottet M J and Lalonde M 1983 Influence of phenolics onin vitro growth ofFrankia strains. Can. J. Bot. 6, 2807–2814.
Reddell P and Bowen G D 1985 Do single nodules of Casuarinaceae contain more than oneFrankia strain? Plant and Soil 88, 275–279.
Rodriguez-Barrueco C 1968 The occurrence of the root-nodule endophyte ofAlnus glutinosa andMyrica gale in soils. J. Gen. Microbiol. 52, 189–194.
Sellstedt A, Huss-Danell K and Ahlqvist A-S 1986 Nitrogen fixation and biomass production in symbioses betweenAlnus incana andFrankia strains with different hydrogen metabolism. Physiol. Plant 66, 99–107.
Smolander A and Sundman V 1987Frankia in acid soils of forests devoid of actinorhizal plants. Physiol. Plant. 70, 297–303.
Torrey J G 1987 Endophyte sporulation in actinorhizal nodules. Physiol. Plant 70, 279–288.
Troelstra S R, Van Dijk C and Blacquière T 1986 Growth, ionic balance, proton excretion and nitrate reductase activity inAlnus andHippophae supplied with different sources of nitrogen. Plant and Soil 91, 381–384.
Van den Bosch K A and Torrey J G 1984 Consequences of sporangial development for nodule function in root nodules ofComptonia peregrina andMyrica gale. Pl. Physiol. 76, 556–560.
Visser S A 1985 Physiological action of humic substances on microbial cells. Soil Biol. Biochem. 17, 457–462.
Vogel C S and Dawson J O 1986In vitro growth of fiveFrankia isolates in the presence of four phenolic acids and juglone. Soil Biol. Biochem. 18, 227–231.
Wheeler C T, McLaughlin M E and Steele P 1981 A comparison of symbiotic nitrogen fixation in Scotland inAlnus glutinosa andAlnus rubra. Plant and Soil 61, 169–188.
Wheeler C T, Hooker J E, Crowe A and Berrie A M M 1986 The improvement and utilisation in forestry of nitrogen fixation by actinorhizal plants, with special reference toAlnus in Scotland. Plant and Soil 90, 393–406.
Zehetmayr J W L 1954 Afforestation of upland heaths. Forestry Commission Bulletin 32, 102–103.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sheppard, L.J., Hooker, J.E., Wheeler, C.T. et al. Glasshouse evaluation of the growth ofAlnus rubra andAlnus glutinosa on peat and acid brown earth soils when inoculated with four sources ofFrankia . Plant Soil 110, 187–198 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02226798
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02226798