Nodulation and growth of black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) on a desurfaced soil inoculated with a local Rhizobium isolate

Nodulation and nitrogen fixation of black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.), a legume tree broadly used in Argentina for urban and agricultural afforestation, was studied in hydroponic culture. The development of seedlings inoculated with a local strain of Rhizobium, highly specific for R. pseudoacacia, was also compared with respect to non-inoculated but N-fertilised seedlings. This strain produced fast nodulation and high crop yield and leaf N content. Already nodulated plants with the local Rhizobium strain were assayed for growth in a greenhouse pot experiment with soil from a field where topsoil has been removed for industrial purposes, whilst pots with non-desurfaced soil from the same field were used as control. Non-inoculated plants were also grown in either control or desurfaced soil. Inoculated plants developed better than non-inoculated plants in desurfaced soil, and in control soil as well, suggesting that the symbiosis was able to overcome the nutrient limitation of the desurfaced soil. Non-inoculated plants were nodulated by native soil born Rhizobium, either in control or desurfaced soil, but they showed low final nitrogen leaf content and low nitrogen fixation activity, suggesting that native rhizobia were ineffective.