Azospirillum — plant root associations: A review

Summary Bacteria of the genus Azospirillum are extensively studied for their plant-growth promoting effect following inoculation. Physiological and biochemical studies of these diazotrophic bacteria are now benefiting from recent breakthroughs in the development of genetic tools for Azospirilum. Moreover, the identification and cloning of Azospirillum genes involved in N₂ fixation, plant interaction, and phytohormone production have given new life to many research projects on Azospirillum. The finding that Azospirillum genes can complement specific mutations in other intensively studied rhizosphere bacteria like Rhizobia will certainly trigger the exploration of new areas in rhizosphere biology. Therefore a review of the Azospirillum-plant interactions is particularly timely.