The applicants have recently developed an innovative method to improve Rhizobium-Legume biological nitrogen fixation, plant biomass and seed production, by introducing into Rhizobium two bacterial genes coding for a second pathway for the synthesis of indole-3-acetic-acid (IAA).?In greenhouse trials temperate and tropical legumes increase stem biomass by 50-75% and seed production by 50-100% when modified and unmodified strains are compared.
The objectives of the present application are:
1) to evaluate the yield increase in field trials for Soybean, Peanut, Vigna, Vetch and Pea
2) to monitor the ecological impacts of releasing genetically engineered Rhizobia
3) to obtain the same yield increase by using two wild type strains (one nitrogen fixing, one releasing IAA)
4) to reduce the use of major environmental pollutant as chemically synthesised nitrogen fertilisers by promoting legumes as intercrop.
Project coordinator:
Dr Roberto
DEFEZ
International Institute of Genetics and Biophysics
National Research Council of Italy
Via Guglielmo Marconi 10
Casella Postale 3061
80125 Napoli?ITALY
Tel: +39 (081) 593 2428
Fax: +39 (081) 593 6123
Email:defez@iigbna.iigb.na.cnr.it
Participants:
|
Participant name |
Status* |
Country |
|
National Research Council of Italy |
C |
Italy |
|
Murdoch University |
M |
Australia |
|
Aachen University of Technology |
M |
Germany |
|
Bogor Agricultural University |
M |
Indonesia |
|
Chiang Mai University |
M |
Thailand |
*C = Co-ordinator; M = Member
Sources: European Commission
