Phosphorus source driving the soil microbial interactions and improving sugarcane development.

The world demand for phosphate has gradually increased over the last decades, currently achieving alarming levels considering available rock reserves. The use of soil microorganisms, such as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), has been suggested as a promising alternative to improve phosphorus-use efficiency. However, the effect of the source of phosphorus on the interactions within the soil microbial community remains unclear. Here, we evaluated the links between the total dry matter content of sugarcane and the interactions within the soil microbial community under different phosphate sources, with/without AMF inoculation. The phosphate sources were Simple Superphosphate (SS, 18% of P2O5), Catalão rock phosphate (CA, 2.93% of P2O5) and Bayovar rock phosphate (BA, 14% of P2O5). The results indicated that the BA source led to the largest total dry matter content. The phosphate source affected total dry matter and the structure of the soil microbial communities. The bacterial interactions increased across sources with high percentage of P2O5, while the fungal interactions decreased. The interactions between bacterial and fungal microorganisms allowed to identify the percentage of P2O5 resulting in the highest total sugarcane dry matter. Our findings suggested the soil microbial interactions as a potential microbial indicator helping to improve the agricultural management.

Diazotrophic Burkholderia species isolated from the Amazon region exhibit phenotypical, functional and genetic diversity.

Forty-eight Burkholderia isolates from different land use systems in the Amazon region were compared to type strains of Burkholderia species for phenotypic and functional characteristics that can be used to promote plant growth. Most of these isolates (n=46) were obtained by using siratro (Macroptilium atropurpureum - 44) and common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris - 2) as the trap plant species; two isolates were obtained from nodules collected in the field from Indigofera suffruticosa and Pithecellobium sp. The evaluated characteristics were the following: colony characterisation on "79" medium, assimilation of different carbon sources, enzymatic activities, solubilisation of phosphates, nitrogenase activity and antifungal activity against Fusarium oxysporium f. sp. phaseoli. Whole cell protein profiles, 16S rRNA, gyrB, and recA gene sequencing and multilocus sequence typing were used to identify the isolates. The isolates showed different cultural and biochemical characteristics depending on the legume species from which they were obtained. Except for one isolate from I. suffruticosa, all isolates were able to solubilise calcium phosphate and present nitrogenase activity under free-living conditions. Only one isolate from common beans, showed antifungal activity. The forty four isolates from siratro nodules were identified as B. fungorum; isolates UFLA02-27 and UFLA02-28, obtained from common bean plants, were identified as B. contaminans; isolate INPA89A, isolated from Indigofera suffruticosa, was a close relative of B. caribensis but could not be assigned to an established species; isolate INPA42B, isolated from Pithecellobium sp., was identified as B. lata. This is the first report of nitrogenase activity in B. fungorum, B. lata and B. contaminans.

Inoculação com cepas de rizóbio na cultura do feijoeiro / Inoculation with rhizobium strains in beans crop

O presente trabalho objetivou avaliar a resposta de Phaseolus vulgaris (L.) cv. 'Talismã' à inoculação com quatro cepas isoladas da região da Amazônia, UFLA 02-100, UFLA 02-127, UFLA 02-86 e UFLA 02-68, comparadas à cepa CIAT-899 (SEMIA4077), autorizada pelo MAPA como inoculante para cultura do feijoeiro. O experimento foi conduzido em campo na Universidade Federal de Lavras, utilizando-se o delineamento experimental em DBC, com sete tratamentos e com seis repetições, sendo cinco estirpes citadas e dois controles não inoculados, um com N-mineral (80kg ha-1 de N) e outra sem N-mineral. Foram avaliados a nodulação (número e massa seca de nódulos), o crescimento (massa seca da parte aérea), o rendimento de grãos e o teor e acúmulo de nitrogênio na parte aérea e nos grãos, além da eficiência relativa. A cepa UFLA 02-68 se destacou e promoveu rendimento de grãos semelhante ao da testemunha com 80kg ha-1 de nitrogênio, superando as demais estirpes, inclusive a CIAT 889.

This paper aimed to evaluate the effect of inoculation on Phaseolus vulgaris (L.) cv. 'Talismã' with four rhizobia strains isolated from Amazon region: UFLA 02-100, UFLA 02-127, UFLA 02-86 and UFLA 02-68, compared to inoculation with strain CIAT-899, officialy authorized as inoculant to common beans by MAPA. The experiment was carried out in the 'Universidade Federal de Lavras' campus, in a randomized block design, with 6 replications and 7 treatments. Treatments were the five strains and two controls: one receiving mineral-N (80kg N ha-1) and the other an absolut control. Nodule number and dry matter weight, shoot dry matter weight, grain yields and N-content both in shoots and grain were evaluated. Inoculation with strain UFLA 02-68 promoted highest grain yields, similar to the control receiving mineral-N, their yields were even higher than that of strain CIAT 889.