NUMERICAL TAXONOMY OF RHIZOBIUM STRAINS FROM LEGUMES OF THE TEMPERATEZONE

Phenotypic properties (growth characteristics, utilization of carbon a nd nitrogen sources, and intrinsic antibiotic resistance) of 53 Rhizob ium strains isolated from root nodules of the temperate-zone legumes A stragalus spp. (29 strains), Oxytropis campanulata (7 strains), Hedysa rum alpinum (7 strains), Ononis arvensis (3 strains), Glycyrrhiza spp. (4 strains), and Coronilla varia (3 strains) were compared with those of other Rhizobium, Bradyrhizobium, and Agrobacterium strains. The fi nal matrix, containing 83 strains and 56 nonsymbiotic features, was us ed for computer cluster analysis. The dendrogram showed that the new s trains of temperate-zone rhizobia formed a cluster separate from both Rhizobium and Bradyrhizobium spp. Two large groups of temperate-zone r hizobia were revealed. Group 1 included rhizobial strains originating from different geographical regions,vith a temperate climate, while gr oup 2 included strains from the same geographical origin, South Siberi a. The strains of recognized Rhizobium species were clustered, in gene ral, with each other as expected from phylogenetic relatedness.