Accurate evaluation of soybean rhizobia preserved in the Agricultural Culture Collection of China

Abstract:

Soybean (Glycine max) is an important cereal and oil crop in the world, and the supply-side structural reform in the agricultural sector requires an increase in the planting area of high-quality edible soybean. Due to the inherent characteristics of arable land resources in China, the domestic production of soybean is far from self-sufficiency, and there is an urgent need to increase the planting area and production of soybean domestically, reducing the dependence on imports. Rhizobia are the earliest developed microbial fertilizer, while their application area is limited in China.Objective To select suitable strains from the stored rhizobia to provide germplasm resources for alleviating food issues.Methods We reviewed taxonomic status of rhizobia preserved in the Agricultural Culture Collection of China over decades based on the 16S rRNA and recA gene sequences. The hydroponic nodulation test was carried out to assess the nodulating and soybean growth-promoting effects based on comprehensive consideration of the nodulation rate, nodule number, nodule weight, plant height, and dry weight.Results A total of 213 strains of soybean rhizobia were activated and identified, including 156 strains of Bradyrhizobium, 48 strains of Sinorhizobium, and 9 strains of Rhizobium. Among them, 149 strains were able to nodulate with soybean cultivar selected in this study, and 43 strains significantly contributed to the growth of soybean plants.Conclusion This study further clarifies the taxonomic status of preserved soybean rhizobia and evaluates their nodulating and plant growth-promoting effects, providing abundant microbial resources for the development of soybean rhizobia-based agents.