Growth and nodulation in Alnus sieboldiana in response to Frankia inoculation and nitrogen treatments

Abstract

We investigated a Frankia – Alnus sieboldiana symbiosis, including the minimum inoculum dose for constant nodulation, the period of time to nodulation after inoculation, and the effects of N on nodulation. Frankia is a nitrogen-fixing actinomycete that forms root nodules in some dicotyledonous plants, which are called actinorhizal. We studied nodule formation in Alnus sieboldiana, an actinorhizal plant, after inoculation with a Frankia isolate to establish techniques for Frankia inoculation and the cultivation of inoculated plants. Root nodules formed on seedlings of A. sieboldiana by 2 weeks after inoculation, and N2 fixation measured by acetylene reduction activity started 3 weeks after inoculation. Nodulation was observed after inoculation with a Frankia isolate at 0.001 μL packed cell volume (pcv). The number of nodules formed on the seedlings inoculated with Frankia at more than 0.05 μL pcv was not significantly different. Nodule development and N2 fixation were reduced when inoculated seedlings were treated weekly with 15 mM NH4NO3-N. In contrast, treatment with 3.75 or 0.9375 mM NH4NO3-N did not inhibit nodule development or N2 fixation of inoculated seedlings by 15 weeks of N treatment.