RHIZOMATOUS BIRDSFOOT-TREFOIL EXHIBITS A UNIQUE RESPONSE TO NITROGEN-FREE CONDITIONS

New genotypes of birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.) from Morocc o exhibit rhizomes, but little is known about their NL-fixation charac teristics. Our objective was to evaluate the N-2-fixation capacity of rhizomatous birdsfoot trefoil infected by native rhizobia or by strain s used in commercial inoculants. An additional objective was to assess the N-2-fixing potential of two Moroccan isolates, R.L. 5797 and R.L. 5758, on commercial cultivars of birdsfoot trefoil. Seedlings of 'Nor cen', 'AU Dewey', and a Moroccan rhizomatous entry, designated 'RBRC', were individually inoculated with commercial strains BFT027, BFT028, BFT030, 1710-2, CB756, or strains R.L. 5797 or R.L. 5758, Control trea tments were noninoculated seedlings with or without supplemental N. Su rprisingly, the seedling mass of RBRC was equal (P > 0.05) for all tre atments. Norcen exhibited its greatest seedling mass when inoculated w ith strain BFT027; AU Dewey, with strain R.L. 5797. The rhizomatous RB RC did not show specificity for native Moroccan isolates of rhizobia, but these isolates effectively nodulated the commercial cultivars of b irdsfoot trefoil.