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. 1980 Feb;39(2):342–347. doi: 10.1128/aem.39.2.342-347.1980

Nitrogen Fixation by Photosynthetic Bacteria in Lowland Rice Culture

M Habte 1, M Alexander 1
PMCID: PMC291334  PMID: 16345507

Abstract

Propanil (3′,4′-dichloropropionanilide) was a potent inhibitor of the nitrogenase activity of blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) in flooded soil, but the herbicide at comparable concentrations was not toxic to rice, protozoa, and nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Ethanol-amended flooded soils treated with propanil exhibited higher rates of nitrogenase activity than those not treated with the herbicide. The enhanced nitrogenase activity in propanil-treated soils was associated with a rise in the population of purple sulfur bacteria, especially of cells resembling Chromatium and Thiospirillum. By employing propanil and a means of excluding light from the floodwater to prevent the development of phototrophs during rice growth under lowland conditions, the relative activities of blue-green algae, photosynthetic bacteria, and the rhizosphere microflora were determined. The results suggest that the potential contribution of photosynthetic bacteria may be quite high.

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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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