Screening of soil micro-organisms and their influence in the establishment of annual herbaceous species

Pérez-Fernández, M.A., López-Martin, M., Flores-Vargas, R.D., Calvo-Magro, E. and O'Hara, G. (2004) Screening of soil micro-organisms and their influence in the establishment of annual herbaceous species. Asian Journal of Plant Sciences, 3 (4). pp. 532-538.

Abstract

Studies oriented to rmderstanding the colonising potential of plant species rarely focus on the relationships between plants and other living organisms in the soil and in the rhizobacteria. This work presents part of the microbial diversity identified in eleven annual plant species common in crops under arid and semi arid climatic conditions (Hymenocarpos hispanicus Lassen, Trifolium arvense L., Trifolium clusii, Gardon and Gren., Ornithopus compressus L., Avena sterilis L., Briza maxima L., Bromus tectorum L., Holcus lonotus L., Lolium rigidum Gaudin, Poo bulbosa L. and Rumex bucepholophorus (Steinh)Reich.fil.). The effect of rhizobacteria on the germination and growth of two annual plant species, annual ryegrass (Lolium rigidum Gaudin) and wild radish (Raphanus raphanistrum L) was studied showing complex relations of competition and mutualism. From 20 bacterial isolates applied to seeds and seedlings of both species, five promoted seed germination and enhanced vegetative growth; seven isolates showed competitive effect inhibiting the germination and delaying plant growth; eight isolates had no significant effect neither in the germination nor in the total biomass production. These relations, besides contributing to the knowledge of vegetative dynamics present a potential tool of biological control of weeds, with the advantage of not introducing in the soil foreign (exotic) organisms of difficult control.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Publisher:	ANSInet
Copyright:	© 2004 Asian Network for Scientific Information
URI:	http://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/30853

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