Molecular Soil Biology 2024, Vol.15, No.2, 74-86 http://bioscipublisher.com/index.php/msb 74 Feature Review Open Access Natural Nitrogen Boosters: The Symbiotic Relationship Between Legumes and Rhizobia Jiayi Wu, Shudan Yan Institute of Life Science, Jiyang College of Zhejiang A&F University, Zhuji, 311800, China Corresponding email: shudan.yan@jicat.org Molecular Soil Biology, 2024, Vol.15, No.2 doi: 10.5376/msb.2024.15.0009 Received: 20 Feb., 2024 Accepted: 28 Mar., 2024 Published: 13 Apr., 2024 Copyright © 2024 Wu and Yan, This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Preferred citation for this article: Wu J.Y., and Yan S.D., 2024, Natural nitrogen boosters: the symbiotic relationship between legumes and rhizobia, Molecular Soil Biology, 15(2): 74-86 (doi: 10.5376/msb.2024.15.0009) Abstract Studies have shown that the effectiveness of nitrogen fixation varies due to factors such as environmental stress, compatibility between legumes and rhizobia, and the presence of other soil microorganisms. Innovative diagnostic techniques, such as leaf perforation tests, have been developed to rapidly screen the SNF activity of rhizobia inoculants, providing a cost-effective, high-throughput method for increasing the yield of legume crops. The symbiotic relationship between legumes and rhizobia is a cornerstone of sustainable agriculture, especially in arid and nutrient-deficient soils. The symbiotic relationship between legumes and rhizobia is an important natural process that increases nitrogen availability in the soil and promotes sustainable agricultural practices. Understanding and improving the efficiency of this symbiotic relationship can significantly improve crop productivity and soil health, reduce reliance on fertilizers, and mitigate environmental impacts. The purpose of this study was to investigate the symbiotic relationship between legumes and rhizobia, focusing on the natural nitrogen increasing capacity of this interaction, and to further understand the mechanism, effectiveness and potential agricultural benefits of symbiotic nitrogen fixation (SNF) in legumes. Keywords Symbiotic nitrogen fixation; Legumes; Rhizobia; Sustainable agriculture; Soil fertility 1 Introduction Nitrogen is a critical nutrient for plant growth, playing a fundamental role in the synthesis of amino acids, proteins, and nucleic acids. It is a major component of chlorophyll, which is essential for photosynthesis, and is involved in energy transfer within the plant. Despite its abundance in the atmosphere, nitrogen is often a limiting factor in plant growth because atmospheric nitrogen (N2) is not directly accessible to most plants. Therefore, plants rely on various forms of nitrogen available in the soil, such as ammonium (NH4 +) and nitrate (NO3 -), to meet their nutritional needs (Santi et al., 2013). Biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) is a natural process by which certain microorganisms convert atmospheric nitrogen into a form that plants can assimilate. This process is primarily carried out by diazotrophic bacteria, including rhizobia, which form symbiotic relationships with leguminous plants. In this symbiosis, rhizobia infect the roots of legumes, leading to the formation of specialized structures called nodules. Within these nodules, rhizobia convert atmospheric nitrogen into ammonium, which the plant can then use for growth and development (Masson-Boivin and Sachs, 2018; Lepetit and Brouquisse, 2023). This mutualistic relationship not only benefits the host plant by providing a readily available source of nitrogen but also contributes significantly to the nitrogen economy of ecosystems (Lodwig et al., 2003). The legume-rhizobia symbiosis is a cornerstone of sustainable agriculture due to its ability to naturally enrich soil nitrogen levels, reducing the need for synthetic nitrogen fertilizers. This symbiotic relationship enhances soil fertility and promotes sustainable crop production by improving plant growth and yield without the environmental drawbacks associated with chemical fertilizers. Additionally, the symbiosis is highly adaptive, with the ability to respond to various biotic and abiotic factors, ensuring efficient nitrogen fixation under different environmental conditions (Thompson and Lamp, 2021). Understanding the molecular mechanisms and ecological dynamics of this symbiosis can lead to innovative agricultural practices that leverage natural processes for enhanced productivity and sustainability (Masson-Boivin and Sachs, 2018).
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