African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 5 (10), pp. 836-841, 16 May 2006   

ISSN 1684–5315 © 2006 Academic Journals        

Full Length Research Paper

Colonization ability of Herbaspirillum spp. B501gfp1 in sugarcane, a non-host plant in the presence of indigenous diazotrophic endophytes

Joyce Prisca NJOLOMA¹*, Moriya OOTA², Kazuhiko TAROURA², Yuichi SAEKI¹ and Shoichiro AKAO¹

¹ Department of Biochemistry and Applied Bioscience, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, 889-2192, Japan.

²Miyako Branch, Okinawa Prefectural Agricultural Experiment Station, Nishizato 2071-40, Hirara, 906-0012, Japan.

*Corresponding Author E-mail: jnjoloma@yahoo.com, Tel: +81-985-58-7207. Fax: +81-985-58-7206.

Accepted 21 February, 2006

Abstract

Inoculating sugarcane with a mixture of diazotrophic endophytic bacteria has shown that they can provide substantial amount of biologically fixed nitrogen to the plant. The genera of diazotrophic endophytes previously isolated from sugarcane have been reported associating with other non-leguminous plants showing a broad host range. This study examined the colonization ability of a wild rice isolate, Herbaspirillum spp., in sugarcane plants in the presence of indigenous endophytes using two inoculum concentrations (10² and 10⁸ bacterial cells ml^-1).  Internal tissue colonization was observed in plants inoculated with both the 10² and 10⁸ B501gfp1 bacterial cells ml^-1 inoculum concentrations. However, extensive colonization and higher bacterial numbers were determined only in the basal stem tissues of plants inoculated with the 10⁸ bacterial cells ml^-1.

Key words: Sugarcane, wild rice isolate, indigenous endophytes, Herbaspirillum spp.