Maize seeds were inoculated with a commercial inoculant containing 1.3 × 107 Azospirillum lipoferum CRT1 cells. After 24 or 48 h, bacteria were washed from the seed surface. Washed and unwashed seeds were then planted in pots containing perlite and grown for 28 days under greenhouse conditions. Whatever the density of Azospirillum at planting, the number of these bacteria at the end of the experiment was similar (1.9-8.0 × 107 bacteria·plant-1). However, comparison of root surface areas of the plants were different depending on the period of contact between seeds and the density of the inoculum. Twenty-four hours of contact was not sufficient to increase root growth surface areas. Contact for 48 h permitted us to obtain root surface areas comparable with those measured after a continuous contact. These results showed that in order to promote maize root surface areas, an optimal density of Azospirillum is not required during the whole cultural cycle. This optimal density is indispensable only up to the emergence of the radicle.Key words: Azospirillum, maize, inoculation, PGPR.
In order to develop a reliable and specific tool for the detection of Azospirillum lipoferum CRT1, randomly cloned DNA fragments from this strain were used as hybridization probes to differentiate A. lipoferum CRT1 from 29 closely related Azospirillum strains. Two cloned fragments hybridizing only with DNA from A. lipoferum CRT1 (CRT1‐5 and CRT1‐7) were considered as specific probes of this strain. CRT1‐7 fragment (1.4 kb) was further tested for purity control of the inoculant Azogreen‐m by colony hybridization. The sequence of the CRT1‐7 fragment has been determined and compared with those present in databases: no significant similarity with other sequences was detected. This probe permitted us to count specifically A. lipoferum CRT1 cells on maize roots during a field trial. During the first two weeks, A. lipoferum CRT1 remained at 107 CFU plant−1. Afterwards, bacterial concentration sharply decreased. We could not detect any CRT1 cells on maize roots 28 days after sowing. Concurrently, three plant parameters were estimated (plant height, primary root length and root fresh weight). The results showed that A. lipoferum CRT1 growth promotion effect began early on (from day 14) in plant development and increased in spite of a rapid decrease of bacterial density.
Glutamine synthetase (GS) is known to exist in the kidney of the rat, guinea pig, rabbit, and sheep but not in that of the dog, pig, cat, or pigeon. No data is available in man. Assay of histologically normal renal tissue obtained in human subjects during surgery for abdominal vascular disease failed to demonstrate significant GS activity. In addition, L-glutamine gamma-glutamyltransferase (GT) activity was also very low. The same results were observed in the dog, in which both GS and GT activities did not exceed 15% of those found in the kidney of the normal rat. In the latter animal both GS and GT activities are higher in the outer medulla (312 and 1,165 mumol/h per g wet wt, respectively) than in the cortex (230 and 844, respectively). During metabolic acidosis, GT activity did not change but GS activity decreased in the outer medulla by 40%. When renal cortex slices from normal rats were incubated in the presence of ammonia, glutamate, and octanoate (as a source of ATP), net synthesis of glutamine was readily demonstrated in contrast to slices from normal DOGS. The present studies demonstrate that the kidney of man, like that of the dog, is devoid of significant glutamine synthetase and glutamine gamma-glutamyltransferase activities. In the rat, we have confirmed the functional significance of GS activity in the kidney. We have also shown that renal GT activity is ammoniagenic in vitro in this animal, but the contribution of this system to total ammonia production in vivo remains to be demonstrated.
Partial sequences of the 16S rRNA molecules of nine strains belonging to four Azospirillum species were used to design species-specific oligonucleotide probes. Azospirillum strains sequences were analyzed and three homologous fragments containing 16 nucleotides were determined. These three probes were found to be characteristic of A. lipoferum (Al), A. irakense (Ai), and A. brasilense/amazonense species (Aba) and of few nontarget organisms. The specificity of these three probes was tested both against sequences in the GenBank data base and in numerous colony hybridization experiments. As a few non-target organisms hyridized with the different Azospirillum probes, the use of these probes in bulk soil hybridization is not permitted. However, their use together with specific isolation techniques is validated.
Four insecticides, carbofuran, chlormephos, terbufos and benfuracarb, currently used on maize (Zea mays) at sowing, were tested for their compatibility with Azospirillum lipoferum strain CRT1 used as an inoculant to improve maize growth and yield. The growth or survival of A lipoferum was studied in the presence of the insecticides: (1) in liquid and solid cultures of the bacteria, (2) when a commercial inoculant (Azogreen-m, Liphatech, Meyzieu, France) was inoculated directly on insecticide granules, (3) when inoculated Azogreen-m granules were mixed with insecticide granules and (4) when inoculated Azogreen-m granules were delivered separately to the seed bed. Of the four insecticides tested, only terbufos had a slight effect on growth of A lipoferum in solid cultures. All the insecticides decreased the survival of A lipoferum when the bacteria were inoculated directly on to the granules, or when inoculated Azogreen-m granules were mixed with an insecticide. We hypothesize that the discrepancies between bacterial culture tests and survival studies might be explained by the conditions of desiccation encountered during inoculation of the granules. Desiccation stress could increase the toxic effect of the insecticides. We therefore suggest including desiccation stress in the biotest used to assess inoculant-pesticide compatibility.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.