Back to Contents

FREE FULL TEXT PDF

PISUM SATIVUM-RHIZOBIUM INTERACTIONS UNDER DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTAL STRESSES

FARRUKH NAEEM, KAUSER ABDULLA MALIK AND FAUZIA YUSUF HAFEEZ^*

Abstract: Effect of low temperature, salinity, nutrient level and photoperiod has been studied on 3 varieties of Pisum sativum var., P-48, meteor and AM-1inoculated with Rhizobium strain PS-1. The plants were grown at 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25^oC. The number of viable rhizobial cells was counted at each temperature by most probable number technique. The number of viable cells were constant at 5 and 10^oC but increased between 15-30^oC. Nodule formation was not observed at 5, 10 and 25^oC at 15^oC the nodules were less in number, whereas at 20^oC best nodulation was observed. The pea plants were also subjected to different salinity levels i.e., 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10 and 15dsm^-1. High number of nodules was formed at 0 and 1dsm^-1 whereas at 2 and 3dsm^-1 the nodule number was reduced and yet at higher salinity levels no nodules were formed. Pea plants nodulated best at 12 hours photoperiod and 1/6^th concentration of Hoagland’s nutrient solutions. The mature nodules developed at different temperatures and salinity levels were assayed for nitrogenase activity and processed for light and electron microscopy which supported our study.

National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, NIBGE, P.O. Box 577, Jhang Road, Faisalabad, Pakistan

^*Bioscience Department, COMSATS Institute for Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan