This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Lowendorf, H. S. Articles by Alexander, M. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Lowendorf, H. S. Articles by Alexander, M. Agricola Articles by Lowendorf, H. S. Articles by Alexander, M.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Appl Environ Microbiol. 1981 December; 42(6): 951-957

Survival of Rhizobium in Acid Soils

Henry S. Lowendorf, Ana Maria Baya and Martin Alexander

¹ Laboratory of Soil Microbiology, Department of Agronomy, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853

ABSTRACT

A Rhizobium strain nodulating cowpeas did not decline in abundance after it was added to sterile soils at pH 6.9 and 4.4, and the numbers fell slowly in nonsterile soils at pH 5.5 and 4.1. A strain of R. phaseoli grew when added to sterile soils at pH 6.7 and 6.9; it maintained large, stable populations in soils of pH 4.4, 5.5, and 6.0, but the numbers fell markedly and then reached a stable population size in sterile soils at pH 4.3 and 4.4. The abundance of R. phaseoli added to nonsterile soils with pH values of 4.3 to 6.7 decreased similarly with time regardless of soil acidity, and the final numbers were less than in the comparable sterile soils. The minimum pH values for the growth of strains of R. meliloti in liquid media ranged from 5.3 to 5.9. Two R. meliloti strains, which differed in acid tolerance for growth in culture, did not differ in numbers or decline when added to sterile soils at pH 4.8, 5.2, and 6.3. The population size of these two strains was reduced after they were introduced into nonsterile soils at pH 4.8, 5.4, and 6.4, and the number of survivors was related to the soil pH. The R. meliloti strain that was more acid sensitive in culture declined more readily in sterile soil at pH 4.6 than did the less sensitive strain, and only the former strain was eliminated from nonsterile soil at pH 4.8; however, the less sensitive strain also survived better in limed soil. The cell density of the two R. meliloti strains was increased in pH 6.4 soil in the presence of growing alfalfa. The decline and elimination of the tolerant, but not the sensitive, strain was delayed in soil at pH 4.6 by roots of growing alfalfa.

Present address: Department of Microbiology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• del Papa, M. F., Balagué, L. J., Sowinski, S. C., Wegener, C., Segundo, E., Abarca, F. M., Toro, N., Niehaus, K., Pühler, A., Aguilar, O. M., Martínez-Drets, G., Lagares, A. (1999). Isolation and Characterization of Alfalfa-Nodulating Rhizobia Present in Acidic Soils of Central Argentina and Uruguay. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 65: 1420-1427 [Abstract] [Full Text]