Inoculation requirement of pea and faba bean and selection of Rlv strains

Soil is an heterogeneous and fluctuating environment. Water limitation in agronomic soils is often partial but lead locally to the suppression of symbiotic activity and therefore to reduction of N acquisition by the plant. A split-root system was developed in pea to evaluate the capacities of Pea-Rhizobium leguminosarum bv viciae (Rlv) symbiotic associations to compensate a local reduction of water availability. Root systems are split in two parts watered separately. Soil water content was monitored. Water limitation was exerted by stopping watering of a half root system. Arrest of nitrogen fixation is very rapidly observed in root directly exposed to water stress. This local and partial water limitation of the plant triggered a systemic signaling on well-watered roots of the same plant. The compensatory response occurs by increasing nodule biomass (and therefore nitrogen fixation capacities) of these roots not directly exposed to the water limitation. In preliminary experiments pea plants were inoculated with a reference Rlv strain. Response of and root and nodule development that compensate the local water limitation was confirmed. Interestingly, the compensatory response varies according to the Rlv strain as another Rlv strain, displaying similar nitrogen fixation efficiency in watered conditions, was not able to promote equivalent compensatory response. This experimental system has been used as a screen to select Rlv strains able to promote rapid compensatory responses to water stress