Distribution, frequency of occurrence and symbiotic properties of the Australian native legume Trigonella suavissima Lindl. and its associated root-nodule bacteria
J. Brockwell A G , Catherine M. Evans B C , Alison M. Bowman D and Alison McInnes E FA CSIRO Plant Industry, GPO Box 1600, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia.
B Central West Farming Systems, PO Box 171, Condobolin, NSW 2877, Australia.
C Present address: PO Box 250, Shellharbour City Centre, NSW 2529, Australia.
D NSW Department of Primary Industries, Agricultural Institute, PMB, Pine Gully Road, Wagga Wagga, NSW 2650, Australia.
E University of Western Sydney (Hawkesbury Campus), Locked Bag 179, Penrith South DC, NSW 1797, Australia.
F Present address: Department of the Environment, Climate Change, Energy and Water, GPO Box 158, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia.
G Corresponding author. Email: jbrockwell@grapevine.net.au
The Rangeland Journal 32(4) 395-406 https://doi.org/10.1071/RJ09080
Submitted: 8 December 2009 Accepted: 11 August 2010 Published: 26 November 2010
Abstract
Trigonella suavissima Lindl. is an Australian native legume belonging to the tribe Trifolieae. It is an ephemeral species that is widely distributed in the arid interior of the continent where it occurs, following periodic inundation, on clay soils of the watercourse country of the Channel Country (far-western Queensland, north-east South Australia and north-western New South Wales). T. suavissima is the only member of its tribe that is endemic to Australia. Likewise, its root-nodule bacteria (Sinorhizobium sp.) may be the only member of its taxonomic group (S. meliloti, S. medicae) that is an Australian native.
The distribution and frequency of occurrence of T. suavissima and the size of soil populations (density) of Sinorhizobium were monitored at 64 locations along inland river systems of the Channel Country. Measurements were made of (i) the nitrogen-fixing effectiveness of the symbioses between T. suavissima and strains of its homologous Sinorhizobium and (ii) the nitrogen-fixing effectiveness of the symbioses between legumes symbiotically related to T. suavissima and diverse strains of Sinorhizobium.
It was concluded that the distribution and frequency of occurrence of T. suavissima is soil related. The species is most widespread on fine-textured clay soils with deep, self-mulching surfaces and high moisture-holding capacity. By contrast, the occurrence of T. suavissima is sporadic in the upper reaches of the inland river systems where the soils are poorly structured clays with lower moisture-holding capacity. Sinorhizobium is most abundant where the plant is most common.
The nitrogen-fixing symbioses between T. suavissima and strains of Sinorhizobium isolated from soils across the region were consistently effective and often highly effective. Some of these strains fixed a little nitrogen with lucerne (Medicago sativa L.). T. suavissima also had some symbiotic (nitrogen-fixing) affinity with an exotic Trigonella (T. arabica Del.).
The economic value of T. suavissima (and its symbiosis with Sinorhizobium) to the beef industry in the Channel Country is discussed.
Additional keywords: Channel Country, Ensifer, Medicago sativa, nitrogen fixation, rhizobial populations, Sinorhizobium medicae, Sinorhizobium meliloti, vertosols.
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