Cross inoculation of some forest legume species

Abstract

Cross inoculations of Mimosa caesalpintaefolia Benth. with Rhizobium isolated of other legume species and vice versa, were studied in five greenhouse experiments carried out in sterilized Leonard jars. Rhizobium strains isolated from M. caesalpiniaefolia are characterized by fast growth with alcali production. These strains produced efficient nodulation only on its own host and on Piptadenia peregrina Benth., both being from the same subfamily. Inefficient nodules were found on Phaseolus vulgaris L. and Teramnus uncinatus Sw., while Clitoria racemosa Benth., Pueraria javanica Benth., Dolichos lab-lab L., Delonix regia (L.) Raf., Cassia javanica L. and Cassia fistula L. did not form any nodules with these strains. Nodules formed on M. caesalpiniaefolia only when it was inoculated with Rhizobium strains isolated from it. No nodules were formed when this plant was inoculated with Rhizobium strains from C. racemosa, C. javanica, D. lab-lab, I. hirsuta, C. pubescens, V. graminea, Ph. vulgaris or with Rhizobium strain CB-756. Two inefficient strains isolated from M. caesalpiniaefolia, formed black nodules on it, one of them also produced inefficient black nodules on Ph. vulgaris.