Biological nitrogen fixation : towards poverty alleviation through sustainable agriculture : proceedings of the 15th International Nitrogen Fixation Congress and the 12th International Conference of the African Association for Biological Nitrogen Fixation

"This volume covers recent developments in both fundamental and applied research in biological nitrogen fixation. It emphasizes the application of biological nitrogen fixation for sustainable agriculture, which should lead to poverty alleviation, environmental protection, and good agricultural practices generally. The roles of, and advances in, plant breeding, plant molecular biology, nodule physiology, and symbiotic and associative interactions between plants and microbes in sustaining agricultural productivity and soil fertility are described. The evolution of symbioses and nitrogen fixation are also covered in this volume. To ensure high agricultural productivity, while protecting the environment (both soil and water resources), requires plant cultivars that also respond to beneficial microbes. The volume, therefore, describes the physiology and genomics of nitrogen-fixing bacteria together with the biochemistry and molecular genetics of the nitrogenase enzyme that actually fixes atmospheric nitrogen to a usable form." "This volume, which covers the most recent data on the role of nitrogen fixation in agriculture and forestry and on the biology of both plants and nitrogen-fixing microbes, is intended to serve as a useful reference for students and researchers, both in the laboratory (academic and commercial) and in the field."--Jacket Front Matter....Pages i-xxix Gene Discovery and Marker Development in Crop Legumes....Pages 3-7 Nutrient Mining or Carbon Sequestration? BNF Inputs Can Make the Difference....Pages 11-14 Tripartite Symbiotic System of pea ( Pisum sativum L. ): Applications in Sustainable Agriculture....Pages 15-17 Plant Growth-Promoting Diazotrophs: Optimising their Role as Key Agents in Achieving More Efficient Nutrient Use by Field Crops....Pages 19-22 Multi-Factor Approach to Identifying Cowpea Genotypes with Superior Symbiotic Traits and Higher Yield for Africa....Pages 23-24 BNF Applications for Poverty Alleviation....Pages 25-26 Biological Nitrogen Fixation in Resource-Poor Agriculture in South Africa....Pages 27-28 Combating Food Insecurity on Sandy Soils in Zimbabwe: The Legume Dilemma....Pages 29-30 Nitrogen Fixation in Agriculture: Forage Legumes in Sweden as an Example....Pages 31-32 Biological Nitrogen Fixation with the Soybean and Common Bean Crops in the Tropics....Pages 33-34 Biodiversity in Amazonian Dark Earth: A Contribution for the Sustainability of Tropical Soils from the Microbial Symbioses....Pages 35-36 Techniques for the Quantification of Plant-Associated Biological Nitrogen Fixation....Pages 37-41 Measuring N 2 Fixation in Legumes Using 15 N Natural Abundance: Some Methodological Problems Associated with Choice of Reference Plants....Pages 43-45 How to Quantify Biological Nitrogen Fixation in Forage Legumes in the Field....Pages 47-48 Nodular Diagnosis for Integrated Improvement of Symbiotic Nitrogen Fixation in Cropping Systems....Pages 51-55 Evaluation of Seed and Liquid Inoculation on Biological Nitrogen Fixation and Grain Yield of Soybean....Pages 57-58 Initiation, Localization, and Growth of Nodules within the Root System of Pea as Affected by Assimilate Availability....Pages 59-60 Enhanced Early Nodulation of Medicago Truncatula Co-Inoculated with Sinorhizobium Medicae and Achromobacter Xylosoxidans ....Pages 61-62 Gene Transfer in the Environment Promotes the Rapid Evolution of a Diversity of Suboptimal and Competitive Rhizobia for Biserrula pelecinus L.....Pages 63-64 Effect of a Genetically Modified Rhizobium leguminosarum Strain on Bacterial and Fungal Diversity in the Rhizosphere of Pisum sativum ....Pages 65-66 Inoculants for Sugar Cane: The Scientific Bases for the Adoption of the Technology for Biofuel Production....Pages 67-68 Detection and Enumeration of Plant Growth-Promoting Bacteria....Pages 69-70 Nodulated Tree Legumes and Their Symbiotic Bradyrhizobium in African and South-American Tropical Rainforests....Pages 73-75 Innovative Microbial Approaches to the Management of Acacia senegal Trees to Improve and Sustain Gum-Arabic Production in Sub-Saharan Africa....Pages 77-78 Acacia Species Used for Revegetation in South-Eastern Australia Require More than One Multi-Strain Rhizobial Inoculant....Pages 79-80 Management of Symbionts in Calliandra ( Calliandra calothyrsus Meisn., Leguminosae) Based Agroforestry Systems to Improve Growth, Productivity, Quality of Fodder, and Biological N 2 Fixation....Pages 81-82 Legume Trees in the Coffee Agroecosystem of Puerto Rico....Pages 83-84 Nodulation Adapted to Habitat Submergence....Pages 85-86 Mechanism of Quick and Reversible Inhibition of Soybean Nodule Growth and Nitrogen Fixation Activity by Nitrate and its Metabolites....Pages 89-90 Inhibition of Symbiotic Nitrogen Fixation by Dark Chilling in Soybean....Pages 91-92 Do Nodule Phosphatase and Phytase Link with the Phosphorus Use Efficiency for N 2 -Dependent Growth in Phaseolus vulgaris ? ....Pages 93-94 The Alternative Sigma Factor rpoH2 is Required for Salt Tolerance in Sinorhizobium sp. Strain BL3....Pages 95-96 Root-Nodule Bacteria of Arid-Zone Legumes for Use in Rehabilitation in the Shark Bay World Heritage Area....Pages 97-98 Effect of Vegetation Clearing on the Nitrogen Cycle and Water Resource Quality in South Africa....Pages 99-100 Biorhizoremediation of Heavy Metals Toxicity Using Rhizobium -Legume Symbioses....Pages 101-104 The Commercialisation of Small Holder Agriculture Through Biological Nitrogen Fixation (BNF) in Soybean....Pages 107-107 Estimates of N 2 Fixation in Cowpea Grown in Farmers’ Fields in the Upper West Region of Ghana....Pages 109-109 Integrating N 2 -Fixing Legumes, Soils, and Livelihoods in Southern Africa: A Consortium Approach....Pages 111-111 Distribution of Promiscuous Soyabean Rhizobia in Some Zimbabwean Soils....Pages 113-113 Ecophysiological Studies of Legumes in Botswana: Types of Bacterial Strains from Root Nodules of Cowpea ( Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.) and an Assessment of the Symbiotic Status of Grain Legumes Using 15 N Natural Abundance....Pages 115-116 Symbiotic N Nutrition and Yield of Cowpea Genotypes under Different Plant Densities and Cropping Systems....Pages 117-117 The Diversity of Root Nodule Bacteria Associated with Lebeckia Species in South Africa....Pages 119-120 Rhizobial Diversity Associated with South African Legumes....Pages 121-122 Diversity and Competitiveness of Rhizobia of the Legume Tree Acacia Nilotica in Senegal....Pages 123-123 Effects of Rock Phosphate on Indigenous Rhizobia Associated with Sesbania sesban ....Pages 125-126 Effect of Added Fertilizers on N 2 Fixation and Plant Performance of Shrubby Legumes....Pages 127-128 Genetic Diversity of Acacia seyal Del. Rhizobial Populations Indigenous to Senegalese Soils in Relation to Salinity and pH of the Sampling Sites....Pages 129-130 Potential Effects of Elevated UV-B Radiation on N 2 -Fixing Legumes in Agricultural Systems....Pages 131-131 Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Colonization and Nodulation Improve Flooding Tolerance in Pterocarpus officinalis jacq. Seedlings....Pages 133-134 Mycorrhizal Colonization Improves Growth and Nutrition of an Invasive Legume in a Mediterranean Ecosystem....Pages 135-136 Nutritional and Photosynthetic Performance of Invasive and Indigenous Legumes in a Mediterranean Ecosystem....Pages 137-138 Ecology and Phytochemical Analysis of the Medicinal Legume, Sutherlandia frutescens (L.)R. Br., at Two Locations....Pages 139-139 Improving Chickpea Inoculation in the Northern Cropping Region of Australia....Pages 141-141 Optimizing Chickpea Nodulation for Nitrogen Fixation and Yield in North-Western New South Wales, Australia....Pages 143-143 Investigating Nitrogen Fixation in the Medicago-sinorhizobium Symbiosis....Pages 145-145 Non-Symbiotic Nitrogen Fixation in Soil, Litter, and Phyllosphere in Dry Chaco Forest of Argentina....Pages 147-147 Inoculation and Competitiveness of a Bradyrhizobium sp. Strain in Soils Containing Indigenous Rhizobia....Pages 149-149 Diverse Role of Diazotrophs in the Rhizosphere....Pages 151-151 Role of Nature’s Fertility Partners with Crop Protectants for Sustainable Agriculture....Pages 153-154 Characterization of Bradyrhizobia Isolated from Root Nodules of Cytisus triflorus in the Rif Occidental of Morocco....Pages 155-155 Diversity of Rhizobia Isolated from Nodules of Peanut ( Arachis hypogaea L.) in Morocco....Pages 157-157 Diversity of Rhizobia that Nodulate Colutea arborescens Isolated from Different Soils of Morocco....Pages 159-159 Diversity of Rhizobia that Nodulate two Mediterranean Legumes, Adenocarpus decorticans and Retama menosperma ....Pages 161-161 Response of Common Bean and Fababean to Effective Nodulation in Salt- and Drought-Stressed Areas Around the Nile Delta....Pages 163-163 Nod-Factor Perception in Medicago truncatula ....Pages 167-171 Nodulation Control in Legumes....Pages 173-176 Bacteroid Differentiation is Linked to Evolution of High Diversity of Secreted Peptides in the Host Plant....Pages 177-180 Functional Genomics of Soybean Root-Hair Infection....Pages 181-182 Regulation of Nodule Organogenesis by Auxin Transport and Flavonoids....Pages 183-184 Legume Agp-Extensins in Rhizobium Infection....Pages 185-187 Glycoside Hydrolases from Legumes and Rhizobia at the Symbiotic Interface....Pages 189-190 Transcript Profiling of Nodule Senescence in Medicago truncatula Delineates Distinct Phases and Mechanisms....Pages 191-192 Comparison of Leaf Growth of Hypernodulation Soybean Mutants, NOD1-3, NOD2-4 and NOD3-7, with their Parent CV. Williams....Pages 193-194 Actinorhizal Nodules and Gene Expression....Pages 195-199 Characterization of Glutathione S-Transferases from Legume Root Nodules....Pages 203-204 Overexpression of Flavodoxin in Alfalfa Nodules Leads to Delayed Senescence and High Starch Accumulation....Pages 205-206 Effects of the Overexpression of a Soybean Cytosolic Glutamine Synthetase Gene ( GS15 ) Linked to Organ-Specific Promoters on Growth and Nitrogen Accumulation of Pea Plants....Pages 207-209 Role of PEPc Isoforms in Phosphate-Deficient Nodules....Pages 211-212 Over-Expression of the Class 1 Hemoglobin Gene Contributes to Symbiotic Nitrogen Fixation....Pages 213-214 Structural and Comparative Genome Analysis of Lotus japonicus ....Pages 217-219 Novel Symbiotic Regulatory Genes Identified by Transcriptomics in Medicago truncatula ....Pages 221-222 Genome Synteny of Pea and Model Legumes: From Mutation through Genetic Mapping to the Genes....Pages 223-224 The Medicago truncatula lin Mutant: Caught by Map-Based Cloning, Characterised by Transcriptomics....Pages 225-226 Proteomic Analysis of Secreted Proteins of Glycine max and Medicago spp. ....Pages 227-228 Proteomic and Transcriptomic Approaches to Study Global Genome Expression in Rhizobium etli and Sinorhizobium meliloti ....Pages 231-232 Control and Action of the Transcriptional Regulator TtsI of Rhizobium sp. NGR234....Pages 233-234 Symbiotic Roles and Transcriptional Analysis of the Type III Secretion System in Mesorhizobium loti ....Pages 235-235 Toxin-Antitoxin Modules and Symbiosis....Pages 237-238 Comparative Analysis of ArgC Protein Expression in Rhizobium Species....Pages 239-240 Genistein-Dependent Regulatory Circuits in Bradyrhizobium japonicum ....Pages 241-242 Rhizobium leguminosarum Modification of Its Lipopoly-Saccharide During Symbiotic Bacteroid Development....Pages 243-244 Altered Formations of Special Eubacterial Membrane Lipids Affect Bacterial Interactions with Eukaryotic Hosts....Pages 245-246 Rhizobium leguminosarum bv viciae Strain LC-31: Analysis of Novel Bacteriocin and ACC Deaminase Gene(s)....Pages 247-248 Infection of Legumes by Beta-Rhizobia....Pages 249-250 In Search of Beta-Rhizobia: Exploring the Symbionts of Mimosa in Brazil....Pages 251-252 Effect of Phosphoglycerate Mutase Deficiency on the Free-Living and Symbiotic Life of Burkholderia phymatum ....Pages 253-254 Living Large: Elucidation of the Frankia EAN1pec Genome Sequence Shows Gene Expansion and Metabolic Versatility....Pages 255-255 Phosphate-Dependent Gene Expression in Free-Living and Symbiotic Sinorhizobium meliloti ....Pages 259-259 Characterization of Bradyrhizobium elkanii Type III Secretion System....Pages 261-261 Search for Nodulation Gene Inducer for Mesorhizobium loti Secreted from Roots of Lotus corniculatus ....Pages 263-263 Identification of BetX, a Periplasmic Protein Involved in Binding and Uptake of Proline Betaine and Glycine Betaine in Sinorhizobium meliloti ....Pages 265-265 H 2 O 2 is Required for Optimal Infection-Thread Formation During Sinorhizobium meliloti Symbiosis....Pages 267-267 Molecular Approaches for the Characterization of Bradyrhizobium Strains....Pages 269-270 Genotypic and Phenotypic Variations Among Rhizobia Nodulating Red Clover in Soils of Northern Scandinavia....Pages 271-271 NH 4 + Nutrition Affects the Photosynthetic and Respiratory C Sinks in the Dual Symbiosis of a Mycorrhizal Legume....Pages 273-274 The Effect of P Nutrition on AM Colonization, Nodule Development and the N and C Metabolism of Phaseous vulgaris ....Pages 275-276 Effects of Al 3+ Toxicity on Photosynthetic and Respiratory Responses of Phaseolus vulgaris under P Deficiency....Pages 277-277 Assimilate Allocation Between the Organic Acid and Amino Acid Pools in Lupinus angustifolius under P Stress....Pages 279-280 African Species Belonging to the Tribe Psoraleeae Produce Ureides, a Symbiotic Trait Characteristic of the Phaseoleae....Pages 281-281 New Look at Old Root-Nodule Bacteria: Molecular Techniques Uncover Novel Isolates....Pages 283-284 Characterization of a Novel Non-Rhizobial Symbiont from Cicer arietinum ....Pages 285-285 Burkholderia tuberum Effectively Nodulates Cyclopia spp., but Not Aspalathus spp.....Pages 287-288 Endosymbiosis Formation Between a Nitrogen-Fixing Mix of Bacteria ( Xanthomonas sp. + Arthrobacter sp. ) and Wheat Root Cells....Pages 289-289 Integrating Sinorhizobium meliloti Genomics: An Expression Library of the Genome....Pages 293-295 Full Genome Sequence of Azotobacter vinelandii : Preliminary Analysis....Pages 297-298 Transcriptional Profile of Bradyrhizobium elkanii Semia 587 in Symbiosis with Soybean ( Glycine max L. Merrill) Analyzed by DNA Microarray....Pages 299-300 Chronos, Chairos and Co-Evolution in Rhizobium -Legume Symbioses....Pages 301-302 Genomics and Evolution of Bacteria: Nodulation, Nitrogen Fixation and the Rest of the Accessory Genome....Pages 303-304 Evolution of Functional Diversity in Nitrogenase Homologs....Pages 305-306 Diversity of Nitrogen Fixing Bacterial Community Assessed by Molecular and Microbiological Techniques....Pages 309-311 Quorum Sensing in Root-Associated and Endopytic Diazotrophs....Pages 313-315 Characterization of CHSA , a New Gene Controlling the Chemotactic Response in Azospirillum brasilense SP7....Pages 317-318 Exopolysaccharide Production and Cell Aggregation in Azospirillum brasilense ....Pages 319-320 Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus Pal5 Strain: Selection and Characterization of Mutants Deficient in Nitrogen-Fixation Ability....Pages 321-322 The Role of Nif Proteins in Nitrogenase Maturation....Pages 325-328 NifB-Dependent “ in vitro ” Synthesis of the Iron-Molybdenum Cofactor of Nitrogenase....Pages 329-330 Azotobacter vinelandii Nitrogenase MoFe Protein: Pre-Steady State Spectroscopic Studies of the Metal Cofactors....Pages 331-333 The Role of Iron Protein-Nucleotide Interaction and Conformational Change in Nitrogenase Catalysis....Pages 335-338 The Mechanistic Basis of nif Gene Activation....Pages 339-340 Architecture of σ 54 -Dependent Promoters: Interplay Between CRP-cAMP and P II -NTR Systems Forms a Novel Regulatory Network Between Carbon Metabolism and Nitrogen Assimilation in Escherichia coli ....Pages 341-342 Signals in the Regulation of Nitrogen Fixation and Ammonium Assimilation in the Photosynthetic Bacterium Rhodospirillum rubrum ....Pages 345-346 Defining the Roles P II and AmtB Proteins in the NH 4 + -Induced Post-Translational Control of Nitrogenase Activity....Pages 347-349 Metabolic Regulation of Nitrogen Fixation in Rhodospirillum rubrum and Evidence for an Energy-Dependent Ammonium Transport System....Pages 351-352 Membrane Sequestration of P II Proteins and Nitrogenase Regulation in Rhodobacter capsulatus ....Pages 353-354 Molybdenum Regulation of Nitrogen Fixation and Mo-Metabolism in Rhodobacter capsulatus ....Pages 355-356 Hydrogen Production by Cyanobacteria as a Potential Tool in Energy-Conversion Programmes....Pages 357-360 Regulatory Interactions Involved in Nitrogen Signalling in Cyanobacteria: Partner Swapping and Role of PipX-PII Complexes in Synechococcus sp. PCC 7942....Pages 361-362 Intercellular Transfer of Nitrogen in Heterocyst-Forming Cyanobacteria....Pages 363-364 Genomics and Systems Biology Analysis of Cyanothece sp. ATCC 51142, a Unicellular, Diazotrophic Cyanobacterium with Robust Metabolic Rhythms....Pages 365-368 Sinorhizobium Arboris Genes Are Differentially Expressed under Salt Stress....Pages 371-371 Thiol-Redox Potential in Melanin Production and Nitrogen Fixation by Sinorhizobium meliloti ....Pages 373-373 Use of Chimeric Proteins to Investigate the Role of the GAF Domain of Herbaspirillum seropedicae NifA in the Response to Fixed Nitrogen....Pages 375-376 Molecular Characterization of Symbiotic Bacteria Associated with the Pasture Legume Ornithopus sp. Native to Portugal....Pages 377-378 Siderophore Genes in Gram Positive and Gram Negative Nitrogen-Fixing Bacteria....Pages 379-380 Genomics and Genetic Transformation in the Unicellular Diazotrophic Cyanobacterium Cyanothece sp. ATCC 51142....Pages 381-381 Sipa, a Novel Regulator of the Photosynthesis-Related Sensor Histidine Kinase NblS....Pages 383-383 Back Matter....Pages 385-392 Poverty is a severe problem in Africa, Asia, South America and even in pockets of the developed world. Addressing poverty alleviation via the expanded use of biological nitrogen fixation in agriculture was the theme of the 15th International Congress on Nitrogen Fixation. Because nitrogen-fixation research is multidisciplinary, exploiting its benefits for agriculture and environmental protection has continued to attract research by diverse groups of scientists, including chemists, biochemists, plant physiologists, evolutionary biologists, ecologists, agricultural scientists, extension agents, and inoculant producers. The 15th International Congress on Nitrogen Fixation was held jointly with the 12th International Conference of the African Association for Biological Nitrogen Fixation. This joint Congress was hosted in South Africa at the Cape Town International Conv- tion Centre, 21–26 January 2007, and was attended by about 200 registered participants from 41 countries world-wide. During the Congress, some 100 oral and approximately 80 poster papers were presented. The wide range of topics covered and the theme of the Congress justifies this book’s title, Nitrogen Fixation: Applications to Poverty Alleviation.