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Characteristics of Rhizobium trifolii Populations Associated with Subclover in Mississippi Soils¹

ABSTRACT

Indigenous Rhizobium trifolii populations that would nodulate Trifolium subterraneum L. (cv. Mt. Barker) were isolated and characterized from pastures with and without subclover in five distinct soil regions in Mississippi. Considerable variation in effectiveness was found among isolates from the different areas and from individual sampling sites within areas, and the combined results indicated that subclover production and soil fertility levels were related and were being better maintained within two of the sampling areas. Pastures without clover yielded small R. trifolii populations that were poorly effective in N fixation on subclover. Significant correlations were found between the Rhizobium population size and soil N levels, soil texture, organic matter content, and exchangeable acidity. Isolate effectiveness was associated with the amount of base saturation, soil acidity, and N levels. These results are discussed in the context of subclover production as related to Rhizobium effectiveness, population size, and soil fertility characteristics.

¹ Contribution from the Dep. of Agronomy, Mississippi State Univ., and the Mississippi Agric. and For. Exp. Stn. Approved by the Director as Technical Paper no. 5320.

² Soil Microbiologist, Research Technician, and Research Associate, Dep. of Agronomy, P.O. Box 5248, Mississippi State, MS 39762. Research supported by the Science and Education Admin. of the USDA under Grant no. 5901-0410-8-0051-0 from the Competitive Grants Research Office and through Specific Cooperative Agreement no. 58-7B30-8-21 with the Forage Research Unit, USDAARS, Crop Science and Engineering Research Lab., Mississippi State, MS 39762.

Received for publication November 11, 1982. Accepted for publication June 9, 1983.