Abstract
To develop proposals in bacterial formulations applicable to the agricultural sector, a study of physicochemical and biological parameters of the polymeric materials is essential. Here, we evaluated the effects of eight polymers on the cellular viability of Rhizobium sp. G58 during a 2-month period. From these results, we selected the three polymers that yielded the best results in respect to the survival of the bacteria. An assay of the effect of the polymers on the symbiotic activity of Rhizobium-Cowpea and the agronomic parameters was conducted under greenhouse conditions, based on the principal component analysis. A positive effect was found in Rhizobium sp. G58 using the Tukey’s Test (p<0.05) with sodium alginate (0.5-1%) and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose-HPMC (0.125-0.5%), while a significant decrease was established in cellular viability using polyethylene glycol-PEG, carbomer-Carbopol 940, and polyvinyl alcohol-PVA. The multivariate analysis indicated that the application of the polymers (sodium alginate and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose) in 0.5% concentration did not have negative effects on the symbiotic fixation of nitrogen or the process of nodulation. In conclusion, our results suggest the effectiveness of these polymers and the possibility of using them as carriers of bacterial formulation without affecting physiological processes.
Highlights
The Cowpea bean is a legume of economic and food security importance in tropical and subtropical underdeveloped countries (Araméndiz-Tatis et al 2011, Cardona-Ayala et al 2013)
The results obtained from the compatibility studies showed that polymers such as sodium alginate and HPMC supported a higher viability (p < 0.05) in the Rhizobium sp
The rhizobial strain, which was treated with polyethylene glycol (PEG) polymers of different molecular weights, showed a loss of viability during the 2-month evaluation at all concentrations assayed (p > 0.05)
Summary
The Cowpea bean is a legume of economic and food security importance in tropical and subtropical underdeveloped countries (Araméndiz-Tatis et al 2011, Cardona-Ayala et al 2013). Effects of polymers in the Rhizobium-Cowpea interaction to ammonium (Sprent 2001, Angelini et al 2011). This symbiotic process contributes between 60-80% of the biological nitrogen fixation on the planet and provides a significant portion of the nitrogen in the soil that allows leguminous plants to grow without the use of nitrogenous fertilizers, protecting the agricultural potential of soils (Vance 1998)
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