The enhancement of wheat growth after inoculation with free-living nitrogen-fixing bacteria

Abstract

Focuses on the selection of bacteria for use as inoculants to assist in early establishment of whet in environments where winter rainfall is variable. This evokes the concept of early development of root growth. The beneficial effects on plants of mixed N₂ -fixing bacteria from 3 local soils were compared to identify soils from which to identify potential inoculants. Experiments to identify dominant bacterial species within the mixed N₂-fixing assemblage were carried out using fatty acid profiles from fatty acid methyl ester analysis (GC-FAME) and 3 were selected to be co-inoculated onto wheat. Results of inoculation indicated that raised levels of plant N in the inoculated treatments could be attributed to N2 fixation by the bacteria.