RESEARCH PLAN
Work package 3: Selection of appropriate rhizobium strains to support nitrogen fixation and development of inoculants
Work package leader: Dr. Guilhermina Marques (UTAD, Portugal).
Objectives
The objective of the WP3 is to enhance biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) by legumes through synergic influence of rhizobia and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in order to obtain high nutritional value food and feed products in sustainable agriculture.
Sub-objectives:
- To select effective and competitive rhizobial strains for enhanced BFN and well adapted to a wide range of edaphic conditions including acid, arid and semi-arid regions;
- To develop improved formulations of inoculants products for legumes based on rhizobial strains and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi;
- To develop molecular markers for field studies in order to monitor the inoculated strains in pot and field eksperiments;
- To transfer the selected strains for the partners inoculant manufactures.
Background
As development and growth of Leguminous plants are close related with soil microorganisms, rhizosphere interactions plays an important role in physiological processes in plants.The increasedglobal N fixation from legumes requires the selectionand development of effective inoculants strains of root-nodule bacteria that suit both their legume host and the target edaphic environment. The widespread presence of the AM symbiosis in nodulated legumes and the role of AMF in improving nodulation and rhizobial activity within the nodules, are recognized processes. Therefore, multidisciplinary approach including investigations on different plant/rhizobia/AMF associations for different species/genotypes is used for better understanding ways to promote efficiency of rhizobia and mycorrhizal fungi in legume production.