Effect of combined nitrogen on nitrogen fixation of soybean (Glycine max L. Merill.) as affected by cultivar and rhizobial strain

Abstract

Nine strains ofRhizobium japonicum (Bradyrhizobium japonicum) were screened for nitrogen fixation in combination with two cultivars of soybean, Chippewa and Dunadja at two levels of nitrogen fertilization,i.e. 20 kg N ha−1 and 100 kg N ha−1 using15N isotope dilution method. Plant dry weight, nitrogen yield, percent N derived from atmosphere (% Ndfa) and total amount of N2 fixed were strongly influenced by the specific combination of host-genotype and rhizobial strain. The interaction between the host and microsymbiont were so specific that accurate prediction of symbiotic performance of either partner in relation to a particular host or strain of Rhizobium appears impossible. The sensitivity of nitrogen fixation to combined nitrogen was furthermore dependent upon both the rhizobial strain and host-Rhizobium association. It is therefore, inadvisable to describe a certain bacterium as being fully effective/ineffective or sensitive/tolerant to combined nitrogen, except in relation to a particular host-genotype. There is scope for obtaining promising host-Rhizobium associations tolerant to combined nitrogen through exploiting the interactive effects between the host-genotypes and strains of Rhizobium.