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Legumes in prairie restoration: Evidence for wide cross-nodulation and improved inoculant delivery

Plant and Soil, ISSN: 0032-079X, Vol: 377, Issue: 1-2, Page: 245-258
2014
  • 14
    Citations
  • 0
    Usage
  • 66
    Captures
  • 0
    Mentions
  • 0
    Social Media
Metric Options:   Counts1 Year3 Year

Metrics Details

  • Citations
    14
    • Citation Indexes
      14
  • Captures
    66

Article Description

Background and aims: Prairie restoration aims to create self-sustaining, resilient prairies that ameliorate biodiversity loss and soil deterioration associated with conversion of native grasslands to agriculture. Legumes are a key component of the nitrogen-limited prairie ecosystem. Evidence suggests that lack of suitable rhizobia may explain legume absence from restored prairies. This study explores effects of novel alternative inoculant delivery methods on: (a) prairie legume establishment, (b) soil biological properties, and (c) inoculant strain ability to nodulate the host over time. Methods: Alternative inoculation methods for seven legume species were tested in a replicated field experiment. Legume establishment, microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen, and rhizobial inoculant strain recovery were measured over a 3-year period. Results: Legume species richness in the second growing season was enhanced by a soil-applied granular clay inoculant, while seed-applied powdered peat inoculation was generally ineffective. When Dalea rhizobia were recovered 3-year after planting, only 2 % from the seed-applied inoculation treatment identified with the inoculant strains, whereas this amount ranged from 53 to 100 % in the other inoculation treatments. Some legumes established unexpectedly effective symbioses with strains not originally intended for them. Conclusions: Results provide new insights on inoculation of native legumes, especially when a mix of seeds is involved and the restoration targets harsh environments. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht.

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