Abiotic Stress in Leguminous Crop Plants

Uma Sankareswari R, Ilamurugu K

Abstract: One of the most severe and widespread problems facing the agricultural industry is the degradation of soil quality due to desiccation and acidity and it would harsh environmental conditions and have a dramatic impact on the endogenous soil bacteria, the rhizobia. These bacteria induce formation of nodules on legumes, in which atmospheric nitrogen is fixed and supplied to the plant, enhancing growth under nitrogen limiting conditions. Desiccation and acidity negatively affect such interactions by limiting nodulation processes and nitrogen fixation [31]. Thus invitro evaluation of strains under stress might be a useful method in finding rhizobia isolates adapted to different environments where extreme temperatures and pH limit symbiotic nitrogen fixation. Hence, the review article discusses the rhizobia strains tolerant to high temperature and acidic stress conditions in leguminous crop plants.

Keywords: Proteobacteria Rhizobia, extreme temperatures, pH, nodulation, nitrogen fixation