Open AccessTHE SURVIVAL ON SEED OF RHlZOBIUM MELILOTI FROM COMMERCIAL INOCULANTS
Author(s) -
J. N. Parle,
J. A. Douglas,
T.S. Bailie
Publication year - 1972
Publication title -
proceedings of the new zealand grassland association
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1179-4577
pISSN - 0369-3902
DOI - 10.33584/jnzg.1972.34.1314
Subject(s) - rhizobia , microbial inoculant , inoculation , rhizobium , biology , horticulture , agronomy , symbiosis , bacteria , genetics
A survey of the numbers of viable Rhizobium meliloti recoverable from lucerne seed after inoculation by conventional methods with commercial inoculants has been carried out. Several batches of inoculant from manufacturers in New Zealand and Australia have been examined and, although all packs had high viable counts, in a number of cases very few live rhizobia could be recovered from seed one hour after inoculation. It is suggested that poor survival of rhizobia on the seed surface is a cause of reported failures to establish luceme in both conventional sowings and oversowing trials.