Associative nitrogen fixation with C4 grasses of the northern Chihuahuan Desert

Title	Associative nitrogen fixation with C4 grasses of the northern Chihuahuan Desert
Publication Type	Thesis
Year of Publication	1988
Authors	Shahaby AFEl
Number of Pages	134
Date Published	1988
University	New Mexico State University
City	Las Cruces, New Mexico
Thesis Type	Ph.D. Dissertationpp
Accession Number	JRN00068
Call Number	00057
Keywords	dissertation, dissertations, grass, diazotrophic associations, grass, nitrogen fixation, nitrogen fixation,C4 grasses grass, C4,nitrogen fixation, plant, also SEE <GRASS>, plant,Sporobolus, Sporobolus,nitrogen fixation, theses, thesis
Abstract	Increasing evidence has been accumulating supporting significant grass-diazotrophic associations. However, characterization of these associations in hot desert grasses is lacking....Inoculation studies were conducted on the C4 perennial grass, Sporobolus cryptandrus, under greenhouse conditions. In the first experiment, inoculated plants had greater height, more tillers, longer flag leaf length, greater root length, more biomass, greater nitrogenase activities, and higher N content than control plants. The nitrogenase activity was greater during the vegetative phase than reproductive phases of the grass. In the second experiment, clipping after inoculation had similar significant effects on plant parameters and N content. However, nitrogenase activity and N concentration in plants and soil were lower than in the first experiment. The mixed culture treatment had the major positive effect on the grass in both experiments. The results indicated that associative N2 fixation may be ecologically important in N2 fixation and cycling in the Chihuahuan Desert.