Abstract
Rhizobium strains nodulating summer legumes cow pea [Vigna unguiculata (L.)], green gram [V. radiata (L.) (Wilczek)], black gram [V. mungo (L.) (Hepper)] and cluster bean [Cyamopsis tetragonoloba (L.) (Taub)] and a winter legume chick pea [Cicer arietinum (L.)] were surveyed in the Northern Plains of India and screened for hydrogenase activity to determine distribution of Hup character in the native ecosystem. It was observed that 56% of the Rhizobium strains of summer legumes were Hup+ whereas that of the winter legume, chick pea, were all Hup-. Ex planta acetylene reduction activity was observed in most of the Hup+ but not in the Hup- strains of any of the host species. In summer legume, mixed inoculation of Hup+ and Hup- strains, under sterilized as well as unsterilized soil conditions, showed that the host species were predominantly nodulated with Hup+ strain.
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Dadarwal, K.R., Sindhu, S.S. & Batra, R. Ecology of Hup+ Rhizobium strains of cow pea miscellany: native frequency and competence. Arch. Microbiol. 141, 255–259 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00408068
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00408068