Analysis of the attachment of agrobacteria to wheat and rice roots

Attachment of pathogenic (Agrobacterium tumefaciens LMG 187, A. rhizogenes LMG 140, LMG 150) and nonpathogenic (A. radiobacter 5D-1) agrobacteria to t he root surface of wheat and rice plants grown under sterile conditions was studied. The number of agrobacteria attached to the plant root surface pro ved to depend mostly on the strain peculiarities and cultivation conditions of the agrobacteria rather than on plant species and variety. Dynamics of the attachment of nonpathogenic agrobacteria to the root surface of the mon ocotyledonous plants (wheat, rice) exhibited the same pattern as the attach ment of pathogenic agrobacteria to the root surface of dicotyledonous plant s. Thermal pretreatment of agrobacteria prevented them from attaching to th e plant surface. No statistically significant effect of calcium ions on agr obacterial attachment to wheat roots and root hairs was observed, irrespect ive of whether these ions were added to the growth medium or incubation buf fer.