Effect of Al and heavy metals on enzymes of nitrogen metabolism of fast and slow growing rhizobia under explanta conditions

Most of the legume crops are affected by metal stress present in the soil mainly due to contaminated agrochemicals and sewage sludge. The effect of aluminium, and heavy metals copper, iron and molybdenum on growth and activity of enzymes of fast and slow growing rhizobial sps. was studied. Sinorhizobium meliloti RMP5 was found to be more tolerant to metal stress than Bradyrhizobium BMP1. Both the strains were extremely sensitive to Al than other metals. Al was much more deleterious for the enzymatic activities (nitrate reduction, nitrite reduction, nitrogenase and uptake hydrogenase) of strain RMP5 and BMP1. Cu showed inhibitory effect on growth and enzyme activities of Bradyrhizobium strain at all concentrations. However, in S. meliloti RMP5 all the tested enzymatic activities increased up to the concentration of 0.1 mM Cu. Fe enhanced the growth and enzyme activities of S. meliloti RMP5 and Bradyrhizobium BMP1 up to 100 mM concentration. Mo enhanced all the tested enzymatic activities of S. meliloti RMP5 up to 1 mM. Nitrate and nitrite reduction activities of Bradyrhizobium BMP1 increased up to 1 mM concentration. However, nitrogenase and hydrogenase activities of Bradyrhizobium BMP1 got enhanced only up to 0.5 mM Mo. Both Fe and Mo are the key components of the enzyme nitrogenase and nitrate reductase and enhanced the growth and enzyme activities of both the sps. The study of physiology of nitrogen fixing ability of both fast and slow growing rhizobial strains reported that the supplementation of Mo and Fe in soils along with the biological formulations will enhance the process of symbiotic nitrogen fixation.