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. 1984 May;47(5):895–900. doi: 10.1128/aem.47.5.895-900.1984

Preservation of Rhizobium viability and symbiotic infectivity by suspension in water.

D K Crist, R E Wyza, K K Mills, W D Bauer, W R Evans
PMCID: PMC240007  PMID: 6378090

Abstract

Three Rhizobium japonicum strains and two slow-growing cowpea-type Rhizobium strains were found to remain viable and able to rapidly modulate their respective hosts after being stored in purified water at ambient temperatures for periods of 1 year and longer. Three fast-growing Rhizobium species did not remain viable under the same water storage conditions. After dilution of slow-growing Rhizobium strains with water to 10(3) to 10(5) cells ml-1, the bacteria multiplied until the viable cell count reached levels of between 10(6) and 10(7) cells ml-1. The viable cell count subsequently remained fairly constant. When the rhizobia were diluted to 10(7) cells ml-1, they did not multiply, but full viability was maintained. If the rhizobia were washed and suspended at 10(9) cells ml-1, viability slowly declined to 10(7) cells ml-1 during 9 months of storage. Scanning electron microscopy showed that no major morphological changes took place during storage. Preservation of slow-growing rhizobia in water suspensions could provide a simple and inexpensive alternative to current methods for the preservation of rhizobia for legume inoculation.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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