Nodulation of Trifolium subterraneum by introduced rhizobia in competition with naturalized strains

The ability of 4 strains of Rhizobium trifolii to compete with naturalized strains in nodulating Trifolium subterruneum cv. Mt Barker and cv. Woogenellup was assessed at 5 sites in New South Wales. The populations of naturalized rhizobia at these sites ranged from 4 × 10⁶ rhizobia/g to one where no rhizobia were detected. The introduced strains were inoculated singly or as mixed strain inocula onto seed of the host at 2 × 10⁶ rhizobia/seed. There were marked differences in competitive ability between the strains but these differences were modified by the host cultivar and the site.At the R. trifolii-free site the inoculum strain formed 100% of the nodules in the 1st yr; by the second year serologically unrelated strains had invaded the plots and these formed almost all of the nodules in the 3rd yr. At the site where competition was greatest (4 × 10⁶ naturalized rhizobia/g), there were no differences in the competitive abilities of the strains in the first year but at all other sites WU95 was superior whether used as a single strain or in a mixed strain inoculum. In these sites also the proportion of nodules formed by the inoculum strains declined markedly by the 2nd yr.