Symbiotic efficiency and genetic characterization of rhizobia and non rhizobial endophytes associated with cowpea grown in semi-arid tropics of Kenya.

ABSTRACT: Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp) is an important multipurpose legume crop grown in arid and semi-arid areas of sub-Saharan Africa. The crop associates with a wide diversity of high ecological value rhizobia bacteria, improving biological soil fertility and crop production. Here, we evaluated the symbiotic efficiency (SE) and genetic diversity of native rhizobia isolated from root nodules of cowpea genotypes cultivated in semi-arid areas of lower Eastern Kenya. Rhizobia trapping and SE experiments were done in the greenhouse while genetic diversity was evaluated based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Twenty morphologically distinct isolates representing a total of 94 isolates were used for genetic analysis. After 16S rRNA gene sequencing, the isolates closely resembled bacteria belon

SUBMITTER: Muindi MM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8093882 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature