Genetic characterisation and symbiotic proprieties of native sinorhizobia trapped by Medicago sativa on Tunisian soils
S. Saidi A , K. Zribi A C , Y. Badri A and M. E. Aouani BA Laboratoire Interactions Légumineuses Microorganismes (LILM), Centre de Biotechnologie, Technopole de Borj Cedria, BP 901, Hammam lif 2050, Tunis, Tunisie.
B NEPAD/North Africa Biosciences Network, National Research Center, El Buhouth St, Cairo 12311, Egypt.
C Corresponding author. Email: kais.zribi@cbbc.rnrt.tn
Australian Journal of Soil Research 47(3) 321-327 https://doi.org/10.1071/SR08014
Submitted: 16 January 2008 Accepted: 17 November 2008 Published: 25 May 2009
Abstract
Medicago sativa, a perennial species of the genus Medicago, is particularly cultivated in the Tunisian oases. Three M. sativa cultivated varieties (Magali A, Gabès2355, ABT805) and 1 genotype from a local provenance (Widhref) were cultivated on 4 Tunisian soil samples exhibiting contrasting pedo-climatic characteristics. Results showed that nodulation and aerial growth were significantly dependent on both variety and soil factors. Magali A showed the highest number of nodules, and varieties grown in Amra and Mateur soils produced the largest nodulation and aerial growth.
A collection of 250 rhizobial isolates was obtained from the 4 soils by trapping them on M. sativa. Molecular characterisation by PCR/RFLP of 16S genes showed that almost all isolates (158 of 160 isolates) belong to Sinorhizobium meliloti. The subsequent analysis of isolates from 2 contrasting soils (Mateur, in the north of Tunisia, and Rgim Maatoug, in the south) demonstrated that strains harbour polymorphism at symbiotic genes, with 4 nodC genotypes, 2 nifDK genotypes and 2 nodA genotypes. The 2 soils contained different symbiont genotypes. The distribution of various profiles types was different according to geographic sites. The soils of Mateur and Rgim Maatoug do not contain the same genotypes. Eleven representative strains from this collection were evaluated for their nodulation and nitrogen fixation capacities. Results showed a high degree of variability among strains for nodulation and aerial growth parameters, and only 2 strains, GII/M1 and LII/M1, seem to be effective with all 4 varieties of M. sativa tested. Strains isolated from the soil of northern Tunisia were more efficient and produced fewer nodules than those trapped on southern soil.
Additional keywords: M. sativa, PCR/RFLP, S. meliloti, molecular polymorphism, symbiotic genes, soil, efficient strains.
Acknowledgments
Financial support of this research was provided by the Project FP6 PERMED PL 509140: ‘Improvement of native perennial forage plants for sustainability of Mediterranean farming systems’. The authors would also like to thank Mr. Badri M. for the helpful discussion, Mr. Casa E. for the beneficial comments and Ms. Friesen M. for English editing.
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