How to cite: Castro JL, Souza MG, Rufini M, Guimarães AA, Rodrigues TL, Moreira FMS. Diversity and efficiency of rhizobia communities from iron mining areas using cowpea as a trap plant. Rev Bras Cienc Solo. 2017;41:e0160525. https://doi.org/10.1590/18069657rbcs20160525Copyright: This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided that the original author and source are credited. Division -Soil Processes and Properties ABSTRACT:Mining is an important economic activity. However, its impact on environment must be accessed, mainly on relevant processes for their sustainability. The objective of this study was to evaluate the diversity and efficiency of symbiotic nitrogen fixing bacterial communities in soils under different types of vegetation in the Quadrilátero Ferrífero: ironstone outcrops, Atlantic Forest, neotropical savanna, and a rehabilitated area revegetated with grass. Suspensions of soil samples collected under each type of vegetation were made in a saline solution to capture rhizobia communities that were then inoculated on cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.], which was used as a trap plant. The symbiotic efficiency of the communities was evaluated in a greenhouse experiment and the data obtained were correlated to the chemical and physical properties of the soils under each type of vegetation. At the end of the experiment, the bacteria present in the nodules were isolated to evaluate their diversity. The highest numbers of nodules occurred in the treatment inoculated with soil samples from rehabilitated area revegetated with grass and neotropical savanna vegetation, and the lowest numbers were observed in the treatment inoculated with soil samples from ironstone outcrops and Atlantic Forest. In relation to root dry matter, the treatment inoculated with soil samples from Neotropical savanah was superior to those inoculated with soil samples from the other areas; already, in relation to the shoot dry matter, no significant difference among the treatments was observed. The soil properties with the greatest influence on the microbial communities were Al 3+ content, considered as high in the Atlantic Forest and neotropical savanna vegetation, as intermediate in the iron outcrops, and as very low in the rehabilitated area revegetated with grass; organic matter, considered as very high in the ironstone outcrops and neotropical savanna, as high in the Atlantic Forest, and as low in the rehabilitated area revegetated with grass; and the pH, with intermediate acidity level in the rehabilitated area revegetated with grass, high level of acidity in the iron outcrops and neotropical savanna, and very high acidity in the Atlantic Forest. After isolation of the nodules, 380 bacterial strains were obtained and separated into 27 groups by cultural characterization analysis. Genetic diversity was evaluated by the 16S rRNA gene partial sequencing of 156 strains, which identifie...

Management of biological nitrogen fixation in common bean still requires improvement. The objective of this study was to verify the compatibility of nitrogen fertilization with biological N 2 fixation to increase common bean yield and profitability. Four field experiments were performed in four municipalities of Minas Gerais, Brazil, during the 2009 and 2010 winter crop season. The 2009 crop experiments were set up under a no-till system and the 2010 crop was conducted using conventional tillage. A randomized block experimental design was used with four replications and seven treatments combining application rates of mineral N (at sowing and/or topdressing) and seed inoculation with Rhizobium tropici strain CIAT899. Inoculation with 20 kg ha -1 N-urea at sowing and seed inoculation does not interfere with nodule dry matter and promotes yield comparable to that observed with 80 kg ha -1 N-urea with economic profitability in both no-till and conventional tillage systems. These results show the possibility of economic savings with respect to N fertilizers, but also a significant ecological contribution by avoiding problems associated with misuse of these fertilizers, such as eutrophication of waterways and denitrification.

Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) cultivation in northern and northeastern Brazil provides an excellent source of nutrients and carbohydrates for the poor and underprivileged. Production surplus leads to its consumption in other regions of Brazil and also as an export commodity.Its capacity to establish relationships with atmospheric nitrogen-fixing bacteria is crucial to the reduction of production costs and the environmental impact of nitrogen fertilizers. This study assessed the symbiotic efficiency of new strains of symbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacteria with cowpea and their tolerance to pH and aluminum. Twenty-seven strains of bacteria from different soils were evaluated under axenic conditions. These strains were compared to the following inoculant strains: INPA03-11B, UFLA03-84 and BR3267 and two controls that were not inoculated (with and without mineral nitrogen). Six strains and the three strains approved as inoculants were selected to increase the dry weight production of the aerial part (DWAP) and were tested in pots with soil that had a high-density of nitrogen-fixing native rhizobia. In this experiment, three strains (UFLA03-164, UFLA03-153, and UFLA03-154) yielded higher DWAP values. These strains grow at pH levels of 5.0, 6.0, 6.8 and at high aluminum concentration levels, reaching 10 9 CFU mL -1 .In particular UFLA03-84, UFLA03-153, and UFLA03-164 tolerate up to 20 mmol c dm -3 of Al +3.Inoculation with rhizobial strains, that had been carefully selected according to their ability to nodulate and fix N 2 , combined with their ability to compete in soils that are acidic and contain high levels of Al, is a cheaper and more sustainable alternative that can be made available to farmers than mineral fertilizers.

Resumo -O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito do pH do meio de cultivo na eficiência simbiótica de estirpes de Rhizobium, em solo com e sem calagem. Foram realizados experimentos em casa de vegetação, com e sem calagem, e no campo, apenas com calagem. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi de blocos ao acaso com quatro repetições, e os tratamentos foram cinco estirpes de Rhizobium (UFLA 02-100, UFLA 02-68, UFLA 04-195, UFLA 04-202 e CIAT 899), cultivadas em meio de cultura 79 com diferentes valores de pH (5,0, 6,0 e 6,9), e testemunhas sem inoculação, com ou sem nitrogênio mineral. Foram avaliados número e massa de matéria seca de nódulos, massa de matéria seca da parte aérea, eficiência relativa, teor e acúmulo de nitrogênio na parte aérea e nos grãos, número de vagens por planta, número de grãos por vagem e rendimento e massa de 100 grãos. O valor de pH ideal para o meio de cultivo variou com as estirpes e com a variável analisada. Os tratamentos que receberam calagem foram superiores aos demais. No campo, independentemente do pH do inoculante, as populações nativas do solo e as estirpes introduzidas promoveram rendimento de grãos semelhante ao da testemunha com 70 kg ha -1 de N e ao da estirpe referência CIAT 899.Termos para indexação: Phaseolus vulgaris, Rhizobium, acidez, fixação biológica de nitrogênio, inoculante. Symbiosis of nitrogen fixing bacteria with common bean in different pH valuesAbstract -The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the culture medium pH in the symbiotic effectiveness of Rhizobium strains in soil, with and without liming. Assays were performed in greenhouse, with and without liming, and in the field, with liming. The experimental design was randomized blocks with four replicates, and treatments were five strains (UFLA 02-100, UFLA 02-68, UFLA 04-195, UFLA 04-202 and CIAT 899), grown in a 79 culture medium with different pH values (5.0, 6.0 and 6.9), and two controls without inoculation: with or without mineral nitrogen. Variables analyzed were number and weight of dry nodules, shoot dry matter, relative efficiency, nitrogen content and accumulation in shoots and grains, number of pods per plant, number of grains per pod, and yield and weight of 100 grains. The optimum pH value for the culture medium varied with the strains and the variable analyzed. Treatments with liming were superior to the others. In the field, regardless of the inoculant pH, the native soil populations and the introduced strains promoted grain yields similar to those of the control with 70 kg ha -1 of N and to those of the reference strain CIAT 899.

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