Resistance of indigenous Bradyrhizobium japonicum strains on moisture deficiency stress

Abstract

Drought is one of the most important factors limiting N fixation, growth and yield of soybean. In this study, fifteen indigenous Bradyrhizobium japonicum strains isolated from different regions of Croatia were subjected to in vitro investigations of different drought conditions (simulated by polyethilene glycol (PEG) 6000) and increased NaCl concentrations. ERIC-PCR method was employed in order to determine genetic variability of strains. At the concentration of 15% PEG 6000 indigenous strain B. japonicum IS1 isolated from east Slavonia region was most tolerant to the lack of water. At the concentraction of 30% PEG 6000, B. japonicum IS2, was distinctively resistant to osmotic pressure and the least tolerant was B. japonicum IS4, both isolated from eastern Slavonia. For all tested strains, good growth was observed at the concentration of 1% NaCl and moderate growth was recorded for the strains from Koprivnica region. Indigenous strans from Baranja, Istria and two from eastern Slavonia were very tolerant to high concentration of 4% NaCl. According to results of ERIC-PCR method genetic similarity was not related to location of the isolation. The greatest genetic similarity was observed for strains isolated from Baranja region, eastern Slavonia, Koprivnica and western Slavonia.

Keywords

• glycine max (l.) merr
• root colonizing bacteria
• nitrogen fixation
• in vitro drought
• nacl
• eric-pcr