Note to users. If you're seeing this message, it means that your browser cannot find this page's style/presentation instructions -- or possibly that you are using a browser that does not support current Web standards. Find out more about why this message is appearing, and what you can do to make your experience of our site the best it can be.

Site Tools

  • AAAS
  • Subscribe
  • Feedback

Site Search

Search Advanced

Science 10 September 1976:
Vol. 193. no. 4257, pp. 1003 - 1005
DOI: 10.1126/science.193.4257.1003
Prev | Table of Contents | Next

Articles

Nitrogen Fixation in Grasses Inoculated with Spirillum lipoferum

REX L. SMITH 1, J. H. BOUTON 1, S. C. SCHANK 1, K. H. QUESENBERRY 1, M. E. TYLER 2, J. R. MILAM 2, M. H. GASKINS 3, and R. C. LITTELL 4

1 Department of Agronomy, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville 32611
2 Department of Microbiology, University of Florida
3 Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, University of Florida
4 Department of Statistics, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida

Field-grown pearl millet (Pennisetum americanum) and guinea grass (Panicum maximum), lightly fertilized and inoculated with Spirillum lipoferum, produced significantly higher yields of dry matter than did uninoculated controls. Up to 42 and 39 kilograms of nitrogen per hectare were replaced by inoculation for pearl millet and guinea grass, respectively. The data demonstrate that nitrogen fixation by these grass-Spirillum systems is efficient and is achieved at a reasonable energy cost to the plant.

Submitted on March 8, 1976
Revised on May 3, 1976


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Biological Nitrogen Fixation for Food and Fiber Production.
H. J. Evans and L. E. Barber (1977)
Science 197, 332-339
   PDF »


To Advertise     Find Products

Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)