Abstract
The inability to predict why legumes develop poorly and fix little nitrogen in fertile soil containing Rhizobium strains active in the symbiosis frequently results from the lack of knowledge of the ecology of the root-nodule bacteria. If the appropriate host and an effective bacterium are both present in fertile land, there ought to be active nitrogen fixation. The fact that often no such appreciable nitrogen gain is evident or the fixation is insufficient to meet the crop demand for this element is not a function of a genetically poor pair of symbionts under these conditions, but rather is a consequence of the inability of the bacteria to survive, grow in soil, colonize the roots, or bring about nodule formation.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Similar content being viewed by others
Reference
M. Alexander, in: Biological Nitrogen Fixation in Farming Systems of the Tropics (A. Ayanaba and P. J. Dart, eds.), Wiley, Chichester, U.K., pp. 99–114 (1977).
M. Alexander, Annu. Rev. Microbiol., 35: 113–133 (1981).
B. B. Bohlool, and E. L. Schmidt, Soil Sci., 110: 229–236 (1970).
J. Brockwell, E. A. Schwinghamer, and R. R. Gault, Soil Biol. Biochem., 9: 19–24 (1977).
O. C. Bryan, Soil Sci., 15: 37–40 (1923).
H. V. A. Bushby and K. C. Marshall, Soil Biol. Biochem., 9: 143–147 (1977a).
H. V. A. Bushby and K. C. Marshall, J. Gen. Microbiol., 99: 19–27 (1977b).
W.-L. Chao and M. Alexander, Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., 46: 949–952 (1982).
D. L. Chatel and R. M. Greenwood, Soil Biol. Biochem., 5: 799–808 (1973).
S. K. A. Danso and M. Alexander, Soil Sci. Soc. Am. Proc., 38: 86–89 (1974).
D. L. Chatel and C. A. Parker, Soil Biol. Biochem., 4: 289–294 (1972).
D. L. Chatel and C. A. Parker, Soil Biol. Biochem., 5: 415–423 (1973).
S. K. Danso and M. Alexander, Appl. Microbiol., 29: 515–521 (1975).
S. K. A. Danso, S. 0. Keya, and M. Alexander, Can. J. Microbiol., 21: 884–895 (1975).
J. Ek-Jander and G. Fahraeus, Plant Soil (Spec. Vol.), pp. 129–137 (1971).
E. B. Fred, Wisconsin Agric. Exp. Sta. Bull., 323, Madison, Wisconsin (1920).
W. Foulds, Plant Soil, 35: 665–667 (1971).
M. Habte and M. Alexander, Arch. Microbiol., 113: 181–183 (1977).
M. Habte and M. Alexander, Ecology, 59: 140–146 (1978a).
M. Habte and M. Alexander, Soil Biol. Biochem., 10: 1–6 (1978b).
Y. A. Hamdi, Soil Biol. Biochem., 3: 121–126 (1971).
Y. A. Hamdi, Zentr. Bakteriol. Parasitenk., II, 129: 373–377 (1974).
A. A. Holland and C. A. Parker, Plant Soil, 25: 329–340 (1966).
V. Iswaran, W. V. B. Sundara-Rao, K. S. Jauhri, and S. P. Magre, Mysore J. Agric. Sci., 4: 105–107 (1970).
H. L. Jensen, Nature (London), 192: 682–683 (1961).
H. Katznelson and J. K. Wilson, Soil Sci., 51: 59–63 (1941).
S. O. Keya and M. Alexander, Soil Biol. Biochem., 7: 231–237 (1975).
L. B. Lennox and M. Alexander, Appl. Environ. Microbiol., 41: 404–411 (1981).
H. S. Lowendorf, A. M. Baya, and M. Alexander, Appl. Environ. Microbiol., 42: 951–957 (1981).
E. L. Madsen and M. Alexander, Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., 46: 557–560 (1982).
H. S. Lowendorf, A. M. Baya, and M. Alexander, Appl. Environ. Microbiol., 42: 951–957 (1981).
R. L. Mahler and A. G. Wollum, II, Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., 44: 988–992 (1980).
K. C. Marshall, Austr. J. Agric. Res., 15: 273–281 (1964).
K. C. Marshall, M. J. Mulcahy, and M. S. Chowdhury, J. Austral. Inst. Agric. Soc., 29: 160–164 (1963).
P. S. Nutman, M. Dye, and P. E. Davis, in: Microbial Ecology, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, pp. 404–410 (1978).
P. S. Nutman and R. Hearne, Report, Rothamsted Exp. Sta., Part 2, Harpenden, Herts., U.K., pp. 7–90 (1980).
O. Odeyemi and M. Alexander, Soil Biol. Biochem., 9: 247–251 (1977).
L. O. Osa-Afiana and M. Alexander, Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., 43: 925–930 (1979).
L. O. Osa-Afiana and M. Alexander, Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., 46: 285–288 (1982a).
L. O. Osa-Afiana and M. Alexander, Appl. Environ. Microbiol., 43: 435–439 (1982b).
J. J. Pena-Cabriales and M. Alexander, Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., 43: 962–966 (1979).
J. J. Pena-Cabriales and M. Alexander, Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., 47: 81–84 (1983a).
J. J. Pena-Cabriales and M. Alexander, Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., 47: 241–245 (1983b).
R. J. Peters and M. Alexander, Soil Sci., 102: 380–387 (1966).
C. Ramirez and M. Alexander, Appl. Environ. Microbiol., 40: 492–499 (1980).
V. Ranga-Rao, N. S. Subba Rao, and K. G. Mukerji, Plant Soil., 39: 449–452 (1973).
A. D. Rovira, Austr. J. Agric. Res., 12: 77–83 (1961).
E. L. Schmidt, in: Interactions between Non-Pathogenic Soil Micro-organisms and Plants (Y. R. Dommergues and S. V. Krupa, eds.), Elsevier Scientific Publishing Co., Amsterdam, pp. 269–303 (1978).
G. D. Thornton, Soil Sci. Soc. Am. Proc., 8: 238–240 (1943).
K. Tuzimura, I. Watanabe, and J. F. Shi, Soil Sci. Plant Nutr., 12: 99–106 (1966).
R. H. Walker and P. E. Brown, J. Am. Soc. Agron., 27: 289–296 (1935)
R. W. Weaver, L. R. Frederick, and L. C. Dumenil, Soil Sci., 114: 137–141 (1972).
J. K. Wilson, J. Am. Soc. Agron., 18: 911–919 (1926).
J. K. Wilson, Soil Sci., 30: 2891–296 (1930).
J. K. Wilson, New York (Cornell) Sta. Mem. 162, Ithaca, New York (1934).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1984 Plenum Press, New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Alexander, M. (1984). Ecology of Rhizobium . In: Alexander, M. (eds) Biological Nitrogen Fixation. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-2747-9_2
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-2747-9_2
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-1-4612-9701-7
Online ISBN: 978-1-4613-2747-9
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive