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Saprophytic Actinomycetes Promote Nodulation in Medicago sativa-Sinorhizobium meliloti Symbiosis in the Presence of High N

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Abstract

Saprophytic rhizoactinomycetes isolated from the root nodule surface of the nitrogen-fixing actinorhizal plant Discaria trinervis, Streptomyces MM40, Actinoplanes ME3, and Micromonospora MM18, previously shown to stimulate nodulation in Frankia-Discaria trinervis symbiosis, were assayed as co-inoculants with Sinorhizobium meliloti 2011 on Medicago sativa. When plants were fertilized with a low level of N (0.07 mM), the inoculation of the actinomycetes alone did not show any effect on plant growth. Meanwhile, when actinomycetes were co-inoculated with S. meliloti, nodulation and plant growth were significantly stimulated compared to plants inoculated with only S. meliloti. The analysis of nodulation kinetics of simultaneously or delayed co-inoculations suggests that the effect of the actinomycetes operates in early infection and nodule development counteracting the autoregulation of nodulation by the plant. Because the actinomycete effect was found in the symbiotic nitrogen-fixing state of the plant, we investigated the effects of the actinomycetes, in single inoculation or co-inoculation with S. meliloti, on plants grown under a high level of N (7 mM) that was inhibitory for nodulation by S. meliloti. The inoculation of the actinomycetes alone did not show any effect on plant growth although high N was available. Unexpectedly, the co-inoculation of actinomycetes with S. meliloti on plants grown with high N (7 mM) significantly stimulates nodulation, clearly counteracting the inhibition of nodulation by high N. These results corroborate that the interaction of rhizoactinomycetes would interfere with the autoregulation of nodulation in alfalfa mediated by high N, opening new research lines of potential agronomical applications.

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Acknowledgments

Financial support for this study was provided through grants from Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica PICT 10006 and PICT 20568, Universidad Nacional de Quilmes PPUNQ 0340/03, CONICET PIP 5812, and Universidad Nacional del Comahue 04/B118; all from Argentina. LGW is a member of the Scientific Research Career of CONICET. We thank Professor Gabriel Favelukes for critical reading of the manuscript and his valuable comments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departmento de Botánica, Centro Regional Universitario Bariloche, Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Quintral 1250, 8400, S. C. de Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina

    Mariana Solans & Gernot Vobis

  2. Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad Nacional de Quilmes, Roque Sáenz Peña 352, B1876BXD, Bernal, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Luis Gabriel Wall

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  1. Mariana Solans
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  2. Gernot Vobis
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  3. Luis Gabriel Wall
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Correspondence to Luis Gabriel Wall.

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Solans, M., Vobis, G. & Wall, L.G. Saprophytic Actinomycetes Promote Nodulation in Medicago sativa-Sinorhizobium meliloti Symbiosis in the Presence of High N. J Plant Growth Regul 28, 106–114 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00344-009-9080-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00344-009-9080-0

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