M. Hungria et al., Isolation and characterization of new efficient and competitive bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) rhizobia from Brazil, SOIL BIOL B, 32(11-12), 2000, pp. 1515-1528
The common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is widely cultivated in South and C
entral America and Africa, but inoculation with rhizobia often does not lea
d to a response in field experiments. A selection program was started in th
e State of Parana, Brazil, in which three promising strains, PRF 35, PRF 54
and PRF 81, showing high rates of N-2 fixation, were competitive and toler
ated high temperatures. The performance of the strains was also verified in
four field experiments, where inoculation with PRF 81 allowed yield increa
ses of up to 906 kg ha(-1), compared with the non-inoculated (control) with
a high population of native bean rhizobia. The high performance of PRF 81
was confirmed in several other field trials carried out in Brazil, leading
to its recommendation for use in commercial Brazilian inoculants. PRF 34, P
RF 54 and PRF 81 were further characterized and compared with four strains,
representative of bean rhizobia species in an effort to define variables w
hich could aid future selection programs. The Brazilian strains showed uniq
ue profiles of protein, lipopolysaccharide and PCR using specific (ERIC and
REP) or arbitrary short primers. The DNA fingerprints obtained with specif
ic or arbitrary primers showed that strains PRF 35 and PRF 54 were genetica
lly very close, nevertheless, there were substantial differences between th
e strains in nodulation and N-2 fixation rates, as well as in the synthesis
of Nod factors after induction with naringenin. The Brazilian strains show
ed Nod factor profiles similar to those of R. tropici type IIA CFN 299 and
IIB CIAT 899 strains, and mixed characteristics of both types. That is, the
y were unable to grow in LB and PY minus Ca, as with type IIA, but were tol
erant to high temperature, acidity, and had the same PCR product with Y1 an
d Y2 primers, as type IIB strain. The Brazilian strains showed mixed host r
ange spectra between strain types IIA and IIB and, by the analysis of 17 fa
tty acids, strains PRF 35 and PRF 54 were grouped with CFN 299 and PRF 81 w
ith CIAT 899, The performance of strain PRF 81 in field experiments indicat
es future potential for identification of new competitive and efficient R.
tropici strains for tropical and subtropical areas. (C) 2000 Elsevier Scien
ce Ltd. All rights reserved.