Renodulation and characterization of Rhizobium isolates from cicer milkvetch (Astragalus cicer L.)

In 1993 and 1994, 12 bacterial isolates were isolated from root nodules of cicer milkvetch (Astragalus cicer). In the tests for nodulation of A. cicer by these bacterial isolates, five were found to form hypertrophic structures, while only two formed true nodules. These true nodules were formed in a sterilized soil system. This system might be able to act as a DNA donor to provide residual DNA to other microbes in the soil. The rhizobial isolates were thought to have lost genetic material crucial to nodulation during the isolation process. This hypothesis was supported by an experiment in which isolate B2 was able to nodulate A. cicer in vermiculite culture after being mixed with heat-killed rhizobia, Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. trifolii and R. loti. The nodulation would not occur in vermiculite culture system without the heat-killed rhizobia. Based on the biochemical data, the B2 and 9462L, which formed true nodules with A. cicer, were closely related. The rhizobia type cultures that nodulate A. cicer include Bradyrhizobium japonicum, Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. trifolii, R. leguminosarum bv. viceae, and R. loti. All of these rhizobia were from different cross-inoculation groups. The B2 and 9462L isolates could only nodulate Medicago sativa, Phaseolus vulgaris, and Melilotus officinalis, but not these species within the genus from which they were isolated: Astragalus. The traditional cross-inoculation group concept obviously does not fit well in the classification of rhizobia associated with Astragalus. The rhizobia isolated from A. cicer can be quite different, and the rhizobia able to renodulate A. cicer also quite diverse. Received: 27 June 1996