2019
Effect of rhizobial ACC deaminase on soybean root nodulation
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Contributor/Checkoff:
Alabama Soybean Producers
Category:
Sustainable Production
Keywords:
Crop protectionDiseaseField management
Parent Project:
This is the first year of this project.
Lead Principal Investigator:
Yucheng Feng, Auburn University
Co-Principal Investigators:
Dennis Delaney, Auburn University
Project Code:
Contributing Organization (Checkoff):
Alabama Soybean Producers
$10,000
Institution Funded:
Auburn University
$10,000
Brief Project Summary:

Symbiotic nitrogen fixation in soybean is critical for obtaining high yields without the application of expensive nitrogen fertilizers. Plants respond to rhizobial infection by releasing stress hormone, ethylene, which has a negative impact on nodule formation. 1-Aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) is the immediate precursor of ethylene in plants. Some rhizobia produce an enzyme, ACC deaminase, that can break down ACC and thereby lower ethylene concentrations in the plants. Several new inoculants have been introduced in recent years claiming more effectiveness than existing productsThis study determines if ACC deaminase activity can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of commercially available rhizobial inoculants.

Key Benefactors:
farmers, agronomists, Extension agents, plant pathologists

Information And Results
Project Deliverables

We will obtain rhizobial inoculants from commercial sources. Pure cultures of rhizobial bacteria will be isolated from these inoculants using mannitol-yeast extract-Congo red agar. ACC deaminase activity of each bacterial isolate will then be determined by measuring the production of alpha-ketobutyrate using a spectrophotometer. Subsequently, greenhouse experiments will be conducted to evaluate if rhizobial isolates with different ACC deaminase activities lead to differences in soybean root nodulation by measuring nodule number and weight. Presence of ACC-deaminase-encoding gene in rhizobia, root nodules and rhizosphere soil will be determined by PCR amplification using primers and thermal cycling conditions available in the literature.

Final Project Results

The United Soybean Research Retention policy will display final reports with the project once completed but working files will be purged after three years. And financial information after seven years. All pertinent information is in the final report or if you want more information, please contact the project lead at your state soybean organization or principal investigator listed on the project.