This study was carried out to verify the occurrence and genetic diversity of diazotrophic bacteria associated to the native graminaceus plants Elyonurus muticus (Carona grass) and Axonopus purpusii (Mimoso grass) and the exotic Brachiaria humidicola (Brachiaria) that form the pastures in the Nhecolândia region of the Pantanal in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. The plants were harvested in the dry and rainy seasons and the diazotrophic bacteria populations in the soil and on roots and leaves of […]

Soybean can be a viable alternative crop for lowlands. However, soybean relies on biological nitrogen fixation, a process that is normally affected by soil flooding, depending on the macrosymbiont genotype. Moreover, the behavior of different bradyrhizobia strains in flooded soil is yet unknown. The present research aimed to evaluate the efficiency of Bradyrhizobium elkanii and Bradyrhizobium japonicum strains recommended for soybean in comparison to mineral nitrogen fertilization, in flooded soil. The experiment was carried out in a greenhouse, where soybean […]

The aim of this work was to evaluate the nutrient input through litterfall, in one area degraded by soil remotion, replanted with ten-year-old nitrogen-fixing legume trees Acacia auriculiformis (acácia), Gliricidia sepium (gliricídia), and Mimosa caesalpiniifolia (sabiá) and another neighbor area with a secondary growth Atlantic forest (“capoeira”) fragment. The experiment was carried out at the Embrapa – Agrobiologia research station, Km 47, Seropédica, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The litterfall was quantified in litter traps with an area of 0.25 m2; […]

Diazotrophic endophytic bacteria enhance plant growth through biological nitrogen fixation and production and release of plant growth regulating substances, which facilitate the revegetation of areas degraded by human activities. However, little is known about populations of such bacteria in soils or plants of mining areas. Aiming to study the effects of different vegetation types and rehabilitation periods on some endophytic diazotrophic bacteria species, soil samples were collected under two environmental conditions (“Campo” and “Serra”) in bauxite mined areas undergoing different […]

There is evidence that pastures formed by some species of the genus Brachiaria could be benefited by the biological nitrogen fixation process (BNF), which would give these pastures a higher longevity. Among the diazotrophic bacteria found in association with these forage grasses, the species Azospirillum amazonense is most outstanding. This study aimed to verify the influence of the Brachiaria species, pasture management, and seasonal variations on the A. amazonense populations associated to the plant roots. Different pastures (B. humidicola, B. […]

This greenhouse experiment was carried out to evaluate the effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and Rhizobium on dry matter production, N uptake and efficiency of use in Eucalyptus grandis and Sesbania virgata plants grown in intercropping systems. The transfer of N from Sesbania virgata to Eucalyptus was also evaluated, using the isotope 15N. The treatments were: with or without inoculation of both plant species with AMF and with or without inoculation of S. virgata with Rhizobium. Plastic pots divided […]

The effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and Rhizobium on P uptake and efficiency of use, as well as on the P fractions of Eucalyptus grandis grown in an intercropping system with Sesbania virgata were evaluated under greenhouse conditions. The treatments were: with or without inoculation with AMF of both plant species and with or without inoculation with Rhizobium of S. virgata plants only, in four replications. The two plant species were grown together in pots with a volume of […]

In Brazil, Bradyrhizobium inoculation has successfully replaced the use of N fertilizer on soybean [Glycine max (L) Merr.] crops. However, with the expansion of no-tillage cropping systems in the Cerrados region, the idea that it is necessary to use small N rates at the sowing to overcome problems related with N immobilization has become widespread, mainly when soybean is cultivated after a non-legume crop. In this study we examined soybean response to small rates of N fertilizer under no-tillage (NT) […]

Soil acidity is one of the greatest problems faced in the management of agricultural lands around the world, mainly in the tropics, where phosphorus and nitrogen are also limiting factors. In the case of nitrogen, biological nitrogen fixation is the most economical and ecological alternative to decrease the use and impact caused by nitrogen fertilizers. Two “in vitro” experiments and one under greenhouse conditions using four Bradyrhizobium strains (BR 4406, BR 29, SEMIA 587 and INPA 03-11B) were carried out […]

Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill] plants establish a symbiosis with bacteria belonging to the genus Bradyrhizobium, realizing the biological N2 fixation process. The inoculation with selected rhizobial strains guarantees the maximization of the biological process. In Brazil, almost 13 million doses of inoculants, mainly peat based, are commercialized annually. However, the peat adhesion to the soybean seeds is low, requiring the use of adhesives. The current recommendation is the use of a water sugar cane solution at 25%, but this […]