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Occurrence of effective nitrogen-scavenging bacteria in the rhizosphere of kallar grass

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Nitrogen Fixation with Non-Legumes

Part of the book series: Developments in Plant and Soil Sciences ((DPSS,volume 35))

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Abstract

Bacteria occurring in high numbers on the rhizoplane of kallar grass grown at a natural site in Pakistan were effective scavengers of traces of combined nitrogen from the atmosphere. Bacteria grew under appropriate conditions in nitrogen-free semi-solid malate medium in the form of a typical subsurface pellicle which resulted in a significant nitrogen gain in the medium within 3 to 4 days of incubation; this could be also measured by 15N-dilution. Bacteria grew and incorporated nitrogen under an atmosphere containing NH3 and N2O. A rapid and strong binding of strain W1 to roots of kallar grass grown in hydroponic culture was found by using a 32P-tracer technique. We obtained no evidence for diazotrophy of our strains because they failed to grow on nitrogen-free media when gases of high purity were used. No 15N2 was incorporated when bacteria were grown on 15N2 although a nitrogen gain was found, no acetylene reduction was observed and no homology with DNA containing sequences of nifHDK structural genes for the nitrogenase components from Klebsiella pneumoniae were detected. Owing to close contact of these bacteria with roots of kallar grass, utilization of scavenged nitrogen by the plant may have to be taken into account.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Biophysics, University of Hannover, Herrenhäuser Str. 2, D-3000, Hannover 21, Germany

    T. Hurek, Barbara Reinhold, I. Fendrik & E.-G. Niemann

  2. Institute of Botany, University of Hannover, Herrenhäuser Str. 2, D-3000, Hannover 21, Germany

    B. Grimm

Authors
  1. T. Hurek
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  2. Barbara Reinhold
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  3. B. Grimm
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  4. I. Fendrik
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  5. E.-G. Niemann
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Harpenden, Hertfordshire, UK

    F. A. Skinner

  2. EMBRAPA, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    R. M. Boddey

  3. University of Hannover, Hannover, Germany

    I. Fendrik

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© 1989 Kluwer Academic Publishers

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Hurek, T., Reinhold, B., Grimm, B., Fendrik, I., Niemann, EG. (1989). Occurrence of effective nitrogen-scavenging bacteria in the rhizosphere of kallar grass. In: Skinner, F.A., Boddey, R.M., Fendrik, I. (eds) Nitrogen Fixation with Non-Legumes. Developments in Plant and Soil Sciences, vol 35. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-0889-5_36

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-0889-5_36

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-010-6888-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-009-0889-5

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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