HERBASPIRILLUM-LIKE BACTERIA IN BANANA PLANTS

Diazotrophic bacteria isolated from banana plants were characterized by morphological and physiological aspects. Three different groups of these plant-bacteria could be established. Two of them showed similarity to species of the Herbaspirillum genus. The third one was different because used only a few carbon substrates and produced water diffusible compounds that fluoresced under UV light. All three bacterial groups were thin rods with mono or bipolar flagella, presented negative reaction in Gram stain, showed catalase activity, were able to reduce nitrate and grew better in semi-solid JNFb medium at 31ºC. The nitrogenase activity was detected in semi-solid N-free JNFb medium and expressed higher values when pH ranged from 6.5 to 7.0 (groups I and II) and 6.0 to 6.5 (group III). The diazotrophs isolated from banana plants were distinct from species of Herbaspirillum previously identified in gramineous plants. Key words: Herbaspirillum, Herbaspirillum-like, Musa spp., microbial ecology Over the last decades there has been a great interest in nitrogen fixing-bacteria associated to non-legumes, principally gramineous plants. The bacterial genera Azospirillum (10,27), Herbaspirillum (2,3,13,23), Burkholderia (4,16) an