Invasive Galega officinalis (Goat's rue) plants in Canada form a symbiotic association with strains of Neorhizobium galegae sv. officinalis originating from the Old World

Abstract

The toxic legume plant, Galega officinalis, is native to the Eastern Mediterranean and Black Sea regions. This legume is considered to be a noxious weed, and its establishment in Canada may have resulted from ornamental planting and/or field trials. In its native range, a highly specific nitrogen‐fixing symbiosis with the bacterium, Neorhizobium galegae symbiovar (sv.) officinalis, is required for normal growth. In North America, nothing is known about the bacterial symbionts of G. officinalis. Our purpose was to determine the species and symbiovar identity of symbiotic bacteria associated with invasive plants of G. officinalis at five sites in the province of Ontario, Canada. Sequence analysis of four housekeeping (16S rRNA, atpD, glnII, and recA) and two symbiosis (nodC and nifH) genes showed that all 50 bacterial isolates from root nodules of G. officinalis at the five Canadian sites were identical to strains of N. galegae sv. officinalis originating either from Europe or the Caucasus. Plant tests indicated that soils collected from four Canadian sites without a history of agriculture or presence of G. officinalis were deficient in symbiotic bacteria capable of eliciting nodules on this plant. Collectively our data support the hypothesis of anthropogenic co‐introduction of G. officinalis and its specific symbiotic bacterium into Canada from the Old World. Factors that may limit the spread of G. officinalis in new environments are discussed.

Agri-Food Contexts in Mediterranean Regions: Contributions to Better Resources Management

“…The combination of agricultural and forestry activities in a complementary way may bring about interesting contributions, under certain, specific conditions, to the role of the agroforestry sector in agri-food contexts [75]. The Mediterranean area is a global region possessing great biodiversity [76], and there is some call for special attention in order to avoid its extinction [77] and another to bring specificities and potentialities to the agri-food systems [78] in Europe [79]. Some of this biodiversity has spread to other continents [80] and some has come from outside the Mediterranean area [81].…”

Galega officinalisL. and Immunological Status in Diabetes Mellitus

“…Galega officinalis (goat's rue) is a toxic leguminous plant originated in the Eastern Mediterranean and Black Sea regions but now has been spread in southeastern parts of Europe and the Middle East. In the medieval period, this plant was traditionally used for the treatment of diabetes [5,34]. G. officinalis contains a large number of secondary metabolites with pronounced biological properties, among which are alkaloids, saponins, flavonoids, tannins, fatty acids, and phytoestrogens [35].…”

Invasive activity of Galega orientalis Lam. in the presence of deposits in the southwestern part of the Central Russian Upland

“…Active dispersal o f alien plant species can cause serious environmental changes in the flora o f various regions, reduce biological diversity, and threaten sustainable develop m ent [ 1,2]. One o f the m ost im portant causes for effective invasions is the appearance o f large fallow land areas formed after the suspension o f agricultural production.…”