Symbiotic N<sub>2</sub> Fixation, Leaf Photosynthesis, and Abiotic Stress Tolerance of Native Rhizobia Isolated from Soybean Nodules at Da, Upper West Region, Ghana

The soybean is an important source of protein and is gaining popularity in Ghana due to a rising demand for its use in the poultry industry. However, the grain yield of soybeans is relatively low in the Upper West Region due to infertile soil and climate change. This study evaluated root nodulation...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Mmatladi Tesia Mataboge, Mustapha Mohammed, Felix Dapare Dakora
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-04-01
Series:Microorganisms
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/13/4/876
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849713607305068544
author Mmatladi Tesia Mataboge
Mustapha Mohammed
Felix Dapare Dakora
author_facet Mmatladi Tesia Mataboge
Mustapha Mohammed
Felix Dapare Dakora
author_sort Mmatladi Tesia Mataboge
collection DOAJ
description The soybean is an important source of protein and is gaining popularity in Ghana due to a rising demand for its use in the poultry industry. However, the grain yield of soybeans is relatively low in the Upper West Region due to infertile soil and climate change. This study evaluated root nodulation and symbiotic effectiveness in 31 rhizobial isolates obtained from the nodules of soybeans planted at Da in the Upper West Region, Ghana, as well as measured photosynthetic activity of the soybean plants grown under glasshouse conditions. This study further assessed the tolerance of the rhizobial isolates to different levels of temperature, drought, salinity, and pH in the laboratory and also measured the ability of the isolates to produce indole-3-acetic acid. An infrared gas analyser and the <sup>15</sup>N and <sup>13</sup>C natural abundance techniques were used to assess the photosynthetic activity, N<sub>2</sub> fixation, and water-use efficiency, respectively. The results showed that the test isolates that induced greater photosynthetic rates from higher stomatal conductance also stimulated increased water loss via leaf transpiration in soybean plants. Isolates TUTGMGH9 and TUTGMGH19 elicited much higher shoot δ<sup>13</sup>C in the soybean host plant and induced higher shoot biomass, C accumulation, percent relative symbiotic effectiveness, and N<sub>2</sub> fixation relative to <i>Bradyrhizobium</i> strain WB74 and 5 mM of nitrate, which were used as positive controls. Although isolate TUTGMGH9 did not grow at 40 °C, it showed growth at 5% of PEG-6000, NaCl, and a low pH while also producing moderate IAA. However, for better utilisation of these rhizobial isolates as bioinoculants, their growth performance needs to be assessed under field conditions to ascertain their competitiveness and symbiotic efficacy.
format Article
id doaj-art-51f54c8a83f048fdbf14dcca4567136a
institution DOAJ
issn 2076-2607
language English
publishDate 2025-04-01
publisher MDPI AG
record_format Article
series Microorganisms
spelling doaj-art-51f54c8a83f048fdbf14dcca4567136a2025-08-20T03:13:55ZengMDPI AGMicroorganisms2076-26072025-04-0113487610.3390/microorganisms13040876Symbiotic N<sub>2</sub> Fixation, Leaf Photosynthesis, and Abiotic Stress Tolerance of Native Rhizobia Isolated from Soybean Nodules at Da, Upper West Region, GhanaMmatladi Tesia Mataboge0Mustapha Mohammed1Felix Dapare Dakora2Department of Crop Sciences, Tshwane University of Technology, Private Bag X680, Pretoria 0001, South AfricaDepartment of Crop Science, University for Development Studies, Tamale P.O. Box TL 1882, GhanaDepartment of Chemistry, Tshwane University of Technology, Private Bag X680, Pretoria 0001, South AfricaThe soybean is an important source of protein and is gaining popularity in Ghana due to a rising demand for its use in the poultry industry. However, the grain yield of soybeans is relatively low in the Upper West Region due to infertile soil and climate change. This study evaluated root nodulation and symbiotic effectiveness in 31 rhizobial isolates obtained from the nodules of soybeans planted at Da in the Upper West Region, Ghana, as well as measured photosynthetic activity of the soybean plants grown under glasshouse conditions. This study further assessed the tolerance of the rhizobial isolates to different levels of temperature, drought, salinity, and pH in the laboratory and also measured the ability of the isolates to produce indole-3-acetic acid. An infrared gas analyser and the <sup>15</sup>N and <sup>13</sup>C natural abundance techniques were used to assess the photosynthetic activity, N<sub>2</sub> fixation, and water-use efficiency, respectively. The results showed that the test isolates that induced greater photosynthetic rates from higher stomatal conductance also stimulated increased water loss via leaf transpiration in soybean plants. Isolates TUTGMGH9 and TUTGMGH19 elicited much higher shoot δ<sup>13</sup>C in the soybean host plant and induced higher shoot biomass, C accumulation, percent relative symbiotic effectiveness, and N<sub>2</sub> fixation relative to <i>Bradyrhizobium</i> strain WB74 and 5 mM of nitrate, which were used as positive controls. Although isolate TUTGMGH9 did not grow at 40 °C, it showed growth at 5% of PEG-6000, NaCl, and a low pH while also producing moderate IAA. However, for better utilisation of these rhizobial isolates as bioinoculants, their growth performance needs to be assessed under field conditions to ascertain their competitiveness and symbiotic efficacy.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/13/4/876root nodulationrhizobia<sup>15</sup>N/<sup>14</sup>N isotopes<sup>13</sup>C/<sup>12</sup>Csymbiotic effectiveness
spellingShingle Mmatladi Tesia Mataboge
Mustapha Mohammed
Felix Dapare Dakora
Symbiotic N<sub>2</sub> Fixation, Leaf Photosynthesis, and Abiotic Stress Tolerance of Native Rhizobia Isolated from Soybean Nodules at Da, Upper West Region, Ghana
Microorganisms
root nodulation
rhizobia
<sup>15</sup>N/<sup>14</sup>N isotopes
<sup>13</sup>C/<sup>12</sup>C
symbiotic effectiveness
title Symbiotic N<sub>2</sub> Fixation, Leaf Photosynthesis, and Abiotic Stress Tolerance of Native Rhizobia Isolated from Soybean Nodules at Da, Upper West Region, Ghana
title_full Symbiotic N<sub>2</sub> Fixation, Leaf Photosynthesis, and Abiotic Stress Tolerance of Native Rhizobia Isolated from Soybean Nodules at Da, Upper West Region, Ghana
title_fullStr Symbiotic N<sub>2</sub> Fixation, Leaf Photosynthesis, and Abiotic Stress Tolerance of Native Rhizobia Isolated from Soybean Nodules at Da, Upper West Region, Ghana
title_full_unstemmed Symbiotic N<sub>2</sub> Fixation, Leaf Photosynthesis, and Abiotic Stress Tolerance of Native Rhizobia Isolated from Soybean Nodules at Da, Upper West Region, Ghana
title_short Symbiotic N<sub>2</sub> Fixation, Leaf Photosynthesis, and Abiotic Stress Tolerance of Native Rhizobia Isolated from Soybean Nodules at Da, Upper West Region, Ghana
title_sort symbiotic n sub 2 sub fixation leaf photosynthesis and abiotic stress tolerance of native rhizobia isolated from soybean nodules at da upper west region ghana
topic root nodulation
rhizobia
<sup>15</sup>N/<sup>14</sup>N isotopes
<sup>13</sup>C/<sup>12</sup>C
symbiotic effectiveness
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/13/4/876
work_keys_str_mv AT mmatladitesiamataboge symbioticnsub2subfixationleafphotosynthesisandabioticstresstoleranceofnativerhizobiaisolatedfromsoybeannodulesatdaupperwestregionghana
AT mustaphamohammed symbioticnsub2subfixationleafphotosynthesisandabioticstresstoleranceofnativerhizobiaisolatedfromsoybeannodulesatdaupperwestregionghana
AT felixdaparedakora symbioticnsub2subfixationleafphotosynthesisandabioticstresstoleranceofnativerhizobiaisolatedfromsoybeannodulesatdaupperwestregionghana