Diversity of nitrogen-fixing bacteria associated with switchgrass in the native tallgrass prairie of northern Oklahoma.

ABSTRACT: Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) is a perennial C4 grass native to North America that is being developed as a feedstock for cellulosic ethanol production. Industrial nitrogen fertilizers enhance switchgrass biomass production but add to production and environmental costs. A potential sustainable alternative source of nitrogen is biological nitrogen fixation. As a step in this direction, we studied the diversity of nitrogen-fixing bacteria (NFB) associated with native switchgrass plants from the tallgrass prairie of northern Oklahoma (United States), using a culture-independent approach. DNA sequences from the nitrogenase structural gene, nifH, revealed over 20 putative diazotrophs from the alpha-, beta-, delta-, and gammaproteobacteria and the firmicutes associated with roots and shoots o

SUBMITTER: Bahulikar RA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4178587 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature