Nitrogen-fixing bacteria in Eucalyptus globulus plantations

PLoS One. 2014 Oct 23;9(10):e111313. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0111313. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

Eucalypt cultivation is an important economic activity worldwide. In Portugal, Eucalyptus globulus plantations account for one-third of the total forested area. The nutritional requirements of this crop have been well studied, and nitrogen (N) is one of the most important elements required for vegetal growth. N dynamics in soils are influenced by microorganisms, such as diazotrophic bacteria (DB) that are responsible for biological nitrogen fixation (BNF), so the aim of this study was to evaluate and identity the main groups of DB in E. globulus plantations. Samples of soil and root systems were collected in winter and summer from three different Portuguese regions (Penafiel, Gavião and Odemira). We observed that DB communities were affected by season, N fertilization and moisture. Furthermore Bradyrhizobium and Burkholderia were the most prevalent genera in these three regions. This is the first study describing the dynamic of these bacteria in E. globulus plantations, and these data will likely contribute to a better understanding of the nutritional requirements of eucalypt cultivation and associated organic matter turnover.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Bacteria / metabolism*
  • Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis
  • Environment
  • Eucalyptus / microbiology*
  • Geography
  • Nitrogen / chemistry
  • Nitrogen Fixation*
  • Plant Roots / microbiology
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Portugal
  • Principal Component Analysis
  • Soil
  • Soil Microbiology*
  • Species Specificity

Substances

  • Soil
  • Nitrogen

Grants and funding

The authors thank Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq), Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) and Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do estado de Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.