禾本科植物联合固氮研究及其应用现状展望

综述了近年来从禾本科植物体内和根际发现的内生固氮菌和根际固氮菌的种类、特征及对宿主的促生机理,以及固氮菌接种剂在农业生产中的应用现状和存在的问题,指出影响联合固氮菌接种效果的主要因素有土著微生物的竞争;植物基因型差异和环境条件的变化,如结合态氮(氨、亚硝酸盐、硝酸盐等)对固氮酶的合成阻遏和较高的氧分压对联合固氮菌的固氮效率影响．提出了发掘和利用禾本科植物的生物固氮潜力的努力方向：从自然界分离筛选获得广谱高效固氮菌株;应用基因工程构建耐铵、泌铵型联合固氮菌;诱导禾本科植物形成固氮根瘤;充分发挥植物内生固氮菌的优势．     

Robust biological nitrogen fixation in a model grass–bacterial association

Nitrogen‐fixing rhizobacteria can promote plant growth; however, it is controversial whether biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) from associative interaction contributes to growth promotion. The roots of Setaria viridis, a model C₄ grass, were effectively colonized by bacterial inoculants resulting in a significant enhancement of growth. Nitrogen‐13 tracer studies provided direct evidence for tracer uptake by the host plant and incorporation into protein. Indeed, plants showed robust growth under nitrogen‐limiting conditions when inoculated with an ammonium‐excreting strain of Azospirillum brasilense. ¹¹C‐labeling experiments showed that patterns in central carbon metabolism and resource allocation exhibited by nitrogen‐starved plants were largely reversed by bacterial inoculation, such that they resembled plants grown under nitrogen‐sufficient conditions. Adoption of S. viridis as a model should promote research into the mechanisms of associative nitrogen fixation with the ultimate goal of greater adoption of BNF for sustainable crop production.     

Biological nitrogen fixation in non-leguminous field crops: Facilitating the evolution of an effective association between Azospirillum and wheat

Recent advances towards achieving significant nitrogen fixation by diazotrophs in symbioses with cereals are reviewed, referring to the literature on the evolution of effective symbioses involving rhizobia and Frankia as microsymbionts. Data indicating that strains of Acetobacter and Herbaspirillum colonizing specific cultivars of sugarcane as endophytes make a significant contribution to the nitrogen economy of this crop improves the prospects that similar associative systems may be developed for other gramineous species such as rice and wheat. By contrast, the transfer of nodulation genes similar to those in legumes or Parasponia to achieve nodulation in crops like rice and wheat is considered to be a more ambitious and distant goal. Progress in developing an effective associative system for cereals has been materially assisted by the development of genetic tools based on the application of lacZ and gusA fusions with the promoters of genes associated with nitrogen fixation. These reporter genes have provided clear evidence that crack-entry at the points of emergence of lateral roots or of 2,4-D induced para-nodules is the most significant route of endophytic colonization. Furthermore, using the laboratory model of para-nodulated wheat, there is now evidence that the ability of azospirilla and other nitrogen fixing bacteria to colonize extensively as endophytes can be genetically controlled. The most successful strain of Azospirillum brasilense (Sp7-S) for endophytic colonization and nitrogen fixation in wheat seedlings is a mutant with reduced exopolysaccharide production. Most other strains of azospirilla do not colonize as endophytes and it is concluded that though these are poorly adapted to providing nitrogen for the host plant, they are well adapted for survival and persistence in soil. A research program combining the study of endophytic colonization by azospirilla with an examination of the factors controlling the effectiveness of association (oxygen tolerance and nitrogen transfer) is now being pursued. It is proposed that a process of facilitated evolution of para-nodulated wheat involving the stepwise genetic improvement of both the prospective microsymbionts and the cereal host will eventually lead to effective nitrogen-fixing associations. In the attempt to achieve this goal, continued study of the endophytes occurring naturally in sugar cane and other grasses (e.g. Azoarcus sp.) should be of assistance.     

Enhancing biological nitrogen fixation: An appraisal of current and alternative technologies for N input into plants

Biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) involves a highly specialized and intricately evolved interactions between soil microorganisms and higher plants for harnessing the atmospheric elemental nitrogen (N). This process has been researched for almost a century for efficient N input into plants. The basic mechanism and biochemical steps involved in BNF have been unraveled. It has become abundantly clear that the host plant (legumes) dominates in regulating the BNF process. Environmental factors as well influence this process. Perturbation or any manipulation of the interactions between the bacteria and the legumes seems to offset the critical balance, usually to the detriment of N fixation efficiency. Not much success has been obtained in either enhancing BNF in legumes or transferring important BNF traits to non-nitrogen fixing organisms. An appraisal is given for the lack of success in making the BNF process a popular and efficient agronomic practice. Alternative physiological approaches are presented for improving mobilization, redistribution and utilization of stored N reserves within the host plant.     

Azoarcus sp. strain BH72 as a model for nitrogen-fixing grass endophytes

The availability of nitrogen often limits plant growth in terrestrial ecosystems. The only biological reaction counterbalancing the loss of N from soils or ecosystems is biological nitrogen fixation, the enzymatic reduction of N2 to ammonia. Some gramineous crops such as certain Brazilian sugar cane cultivars or Kallar grass can derive a substantial part of the plant nitrogen from biological nitrogen fixation. Our research on grass-associated diazotrophs focuses on endophytic bacteria, microorganisms that multiply and spread inside plants without causing damage of the host plants or conferring an ecological threat to the plant. This review summarizes the current knowledge on the diazotrophic endophyte Azoarcus sp. BH72, which is capable of colonizing the interior of rice roots, one of the globally most important crops.     

动物的共生菌固氮

介绍了共生菌固氮涉及的动物和微生物类群、动物共生菌固氮的性质和机理。应用乙炔还原法和固氮酶基因检测等研究表明,所涉及的动物有7门13纲23目50科99属174种。动物肠道具有丰富的微生境,供不同生理需求的固氮菌生长发育,所蕴含的共生固氮菌类群也十分丰富,涵盖植物共生固氮菌、植物内生固氮菌、植物根际固氮菌、自生固氮菌等生态类型。一般认为动物共生固氮菌来源于环境,其性质属于联合共生固氮。动物共生固氮菌一般与其他共生生物形成复合体,以满足固氮过程中对电子和质子供体、能量供给、固氮酶活性保护以及氨阻遏解除等方面的需求。动物共生菌固氮产物氨的同化也需要多种共生物的协同作用,可能通过谷氨酰胺合成酶/谷氨酸合成酶等途径。总体上,食物氮、非蛋白氮和共生菌固氮相互协调,形成营养和解毒的代谢网络,共同维持动物体内氮素营养的动态平衡,并对未来研究提出展望。     

Trials to create artificial nitrogen-fixing symbioses and associations using in vitro methods: An outlook

Summary Biological nitrogen fixation is the most important process in which some prokaryotic organisms fix N₂ into ammonium. From an agricultural standpoint, biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) is critical because industrial production of nitrogen fertilizers seldom meets agricultural demands. To increase the BNF is one of the main challenges for the future. There are different possibilities for extending biological nitrogen fixation to the economically important plants. One of the possibilities is to create new artificial systems between diazotrophic bacteria and different higher plants. This is the main topic of the present review article which discusses the establishment of new associative and/or symbiotic systems, via introduction of diazotrophic bacteria into the roots by different methods; and incorporation of nitrogen-fixing bacteria in the entire plant by in vitro methods, through the establishment of intracellular endosymbioses via induced uptake of bacteria by plant protoplasts (endocytobiosis), and establishment of intercellular associations by forced introduction of bacteria into the plant tissues (exocytobiosis). The common characteristic of the methods to create artificial plant-microbe systems for atmospheric nitrogen fixation is the use of in vitro plant systems: cells, tissues and organ cultures. The review pays particular attention to new bacterial inoculation procedures for introduction of the diazotrophic bacteria inside the plant tissues.     

Infection and Colonization of Sugar Cane and Other Graminaceous Plants by Endophytic Diazotrophs

Agriculturally important grasses such as sugar cane (Saccharum sp.), rice (Oryza sativa), wheat (Triticum aestivum) sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), maize (Zea mays), Panicum maximum, Brachiaria spp., and Pennisetum purpureum contain numerous diazotrophic bacteria, such as, Acetobacter diazotrophicus, Herbaspirillum spp., Azospirillum spp. These bacteria do not usually cause disease symptoms in the plants with which they are associated and the more numerous of them, for example, Herbaspirillum spp. and A. diazotrophicus, are obligate or facultative endo-phytes that do not survive well (or at all) in native soil; these are thought to be spread from plant generation to plant generation via seeds, vegetative propagation, dead plant material, and possibly by insect sap feeders. By contrast, Azospirillum spp. are not wholly endophytic but are root-associated, soil-dwelling bacteria that are also often found within plants, probably entering host plants via seeds or via wounds/cracks at lateral root junctions. Endophytic diazotrophs have been isolated from a number of grasses in which significant biological N₂ fixation (BNF) has been demonstrated, particularly Brazilian sugar cane varieties, but also in rice, maize, and sorghum. However, although the endophytic diazotrophs are held to be the causative agents of the observed BNF, direct evidence for this is lacking. Therefore, in this review we examine probable sites of bacterial multiplication and/or BNF within endophyte-containing grasses and discuss these in terms of potential benefits (or not) to both host plants and bacteria. In particular, we examine how potentially large numbers of bacteria, especially Herbaspirillum spp., A. diazotrophicus, and Azospirillum spp., can exist extracellularly within non-specialized (for symbiotic purposes) regions such as xylem vessels and intercellular spaces. The processes of infection and colonization of various grasses (particularly sugar cane) by diazotrophic endophytes are also described, and these are compared with those of important (nondiazotrophic) endophytic sugar cane pathogens such as Clavibacter xyli subsp. xyli and Xanthomonas albilineans.     

Biological nitrogen fixation associated with sugar cane and rice: Contributions and prospects for improvement

¹⁵N isotope and N balance studies performed over the last few years have shown that several Brazilian varieties of sugarcane are capable of obtaining over 60% of their nitrogen (<150 kg N ha^-1 year^-1) from biological nitrogen fixation (BNF). This may be due to the fact that this crop in Brazil has been systematically bred for high yields with low fertilizer N inputs. In the case of wetland rice, N balance experiments performed both in the field and in pots suggest that 30 to 60 N ha^-1 crop^-1 may be obtained from plant-associated BNF and that different varieties have different capacities to obtain N from this source. ¹⁵N₂ incorporation studies have proved that wetland rice can obtain at least some N from BNF and acetylene reduction (AR) assays also indicate differences in N₂-fixing ability between different rice varieties. However in situ AR field estimates suggest plant-associated BNF inputs to be less than 8 kg N ha^-1 crop^-1. The problems associated with the use of the ¹⁵N dilution technique for BNF quantification are discussed and illustrated with data from a recent study performed at EMBRAPA-CNPAB. Although many species of diazotrophs have been isolated from the rhizosphere of both sugarcane and wetland rice, the recent discovery of endophytic N₂-fixing bacteria within roots, shoots and leaves of both crops suggests, at least in the case of sugarcane, that these bacteria may be the most important contributors to the observed BNF contributions. In sugarcane both Acetobacter diazotrophicus and Herbaspirillum spp. have been found within roots and aerial tissues and these microorganisms, unlike Azospirillum spp. and other rhizospheric diazotrophs, have been shown to survive poorly in soil. Herbaspirillum spp. are found in many graminaceous crops, including rice (in roots and aerial tissue), and are able to survive and pass from crop to crop in the seeds. The physiology, ecology and infection of plants by these endophytes are fully discussed in this paper. The sugarcane/endophytic diazotroph association is the first efficient N₂-fixing system to be discovered associated with any member of the gramineae. As yet the individual roles of the different diazotrophs in this system have not been elucidated and far more work on the physiology and anatomy of this system is required. However, the understanding gained in these studies should serve as a foundation for the improvement/development of similar N₂-fixing systems in wetland rice and other cereal crops.     

Plant Growth-Promoting Effects of Diazotrophs in the Rhizosphere

Because of their ability to transform atmospheric N₂ into ammonia that can be used by the plant, researchers were originally very optimistic about the potential of associative diazotrophic bacteria to promote the growth of many cereals and grasses. However, multiple inoculation experiments during recent decades failed to show a substantial contribution of Biological Nitrogen Fixation (BNF) to plant growth in most cases. It is now clear that associative diazotrophs exert their positive effects on plant growth directly or indirectly through (a combination of) different mechanisms. Apart from fixing N₂, diazotrophs can affect plant growth directly by the synthesis of phytohormones and vitamins, inhibition of plant ethylene synthesis, improved nutrient uptake, enhanced stress resistance, solubilization of inorganic phosphate and mineralization of organic phosphate. Indirectly, diazotrophs are able to decrease or prevent the deleterious effects of pathogenic microorganisms, mostly through the synthesis of antibiotics and/or fungicidal compounds, through competition for nutrients (for instance, by siderophore production) or by the induction of systemic resistance to pathogens. In addition, they can affect the plant indirectly by interacting with other beneficial microorganisms, for example, Azospirillum increasing nodulation of legumes by rhizobia. The further elucidation of the different mechanisms involved will help to make associative diazotrophs a valuable partner in future agriculture.     

The art of isolating nitrogen-fixing bacteria from non-leguminous plants using N-free semi-solid media: a practical guide for microbiologists

Background and aim

Nitrogen-fixing bacteria or diazotrophs have been isolated for many years using different formulations of N-free semi-solid media. However, the strategies used to isolate them, and the recipes of these media, are scattered through the published literature and in other sources that are more difficult to access and which are not always retrievable. Therefore, the aim of this work was to collate the various methods and recipes, and to provide a comprehensive methodological guide and their use by the scientific community working in the field of biological nitrogen fixation (BNF), particularly with non-leguminous plants.

Methods

Procedures used for bacterial counting and identification either from rhizosphere soil or on the surface of, or within, plant tissues (to access “endophytic” bacteria) are presented in detail, including colony and cell morphologies. More importantly, appropriate recipes available for each N-free semi-solid culture medium that are used to count and isolate various diazotrophs are presented.

Results

It is recognized by those working in the field of BNF with non-legumes that the development of the N-free semi-solid medium has allowed a tremendous accumulation of knowledge on the ecology and physiology of their associated diazotrophs. At least 20 nitrogen-fixing species have been isolated and identified based on the enrichment method originally developed by Döbereiner, Day and collaborators in the 70’s. In spite of all the advances in molecular techniques used to detect bacteria, in most cases the initial isolation and identification of these diazotrophs still requires semi-solid media.

Conclusions

The introduction of the N-free semi-solid medium opened new opportunities for those working in the area of BNF with non-legumes not only for elucidating the important role played by their associated microorganisms, but also because some of these bacteria that were isolated using semi-solid media are now being recommended as plant growth-promoting inoculants for sugarcane (Saccharum sp.), maize (Zea mays) and wheat (Triticum aestivum) in Brazil and other countries. Further progress in the field could be made by using a combination of culture-independent molecular community analyses, in situ activity assessments with probe-directed enrichment, and isolation of target strains using modified or standard semi-solid media.     

一株高效甘蔗内生固氮菌NN08200的鉴定及其对甘蔗的促生长作用

【背景】生产上过高的氮肥投入是我国农业可持续发展的重要限制因子之一。利用生物固氮是减少氮肥施用量最为有效的途径,植物内生固氮菌资源的挖掘和利用对我国农业可持续发展具有重要实践意义。【目的】筛选高效甘蔗内生固氮菌,并对其联合固氮效率及促生长功能进行评价。【方法】从广西甘蔗茎基部组织分离筛选到一株内生固氮菌株NN08200,利用乙炔还原法测定固氮酶活性,通过菌落PCR扩增nif H基因确定菌株为固氮菌;通过菌株培养性状和菌体形态观察、Biolog细菌鉴定系统和16SrRNA基因序列分析确定该菌株的分类;采用盆栽接种测定菌株对甘蔗的实际促生长作用,并利用15N同位素稀释法测定其相对固氮效率。【结果】菌株NN08200的固氮酶活性达到2445nmolC2H4/(h·m L),菌株的nif H基因长度为339bp,与甘蔗内生固氮醋酸杆菌Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus PAL5菌株的nif H相似性达99%;根据菌株培养性状和菌体形态观察、Biolog细菌鉴定系统和16SrRNA基因序列分析结果,菌株NN08200属于泛菌属(Pantoeasp.)细菌;盆栽接种菌株NN08200能显著提高甘蔗幼苗的株高和干重,15N同位素分析结果表明接种该菌株甘蔗植株的根、茎和叶从空气中获得氮素的百分率分别为7.49%、15.02%和10.79%,其联合固氮效率显著优于甘蔗内生固氮模式菌株G. diazotrophicus PAL5,利用后者接种的甘蔗根、茎和叶从空气中获得氮的百分率分别为3.53%、9.44%和4.87%。【结论】菌株Pantoea sp. NN08200是高效甘蔗内生固氮菌,其固氮促生长效果明显高于G. diazotrophicus PAL5菌株,可望研发成为优良固氮微生物肥料生产菌种,并可进一步用于甘蔗联合固氮菌作用机理的相关研究。     

联合固氮菌的合成生物学研究进展

氮素是作物生长过程中最重要的元素,氮素缺乏将会严重影响作物生长。随着人类对粮食的需求量增加,化学氮肥的施用量越来越多。生物固氮在全球氮素循环中有着重要的作用,60%的氮来源于生物固氮。因此,生物固氮,尤其是能够在作物中定殖的联合固氮菌,最有可能代替氮肥成为粮食作物的主要氮源。长期以来,如何提高生物固氮效率以及在作物中实现生物固氮是生物学家的重要研究方向。合成生物学的出现和发展为能够生物固氮的研究带了新的机遇,有望缓解粮食作物对化学氮肥的大量需求。本文概述了固氮菌的种类、联合固氮菌中固氮基因岛的组成以及转录调控机理,阐述了合成生物学在生物固氮领域中的研究现状,对未来的联合固氮菌合成生物学的发展方向作出了展望。     

Ecology and genetics of tropical rhizobia species

Biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) technology with special reference to Rhizobium-legume symbiosis is growing very rapidly with the hope of combatting world hunger by producing cheaper protein for animal and human consumption in the Third World. One can see rapid progress made in the biochemistry and molecular biology of symbiotic nitrogen fixation in general; however, less progress has been made on the ecological aspects despite the fact that an enormous amount of literature is available on inoculation problems and on agronomic aspects of symbiotic nitrogen fixation. So far most information on Rhizobium concerns fast-growing rhizobia and their host legume. Although it is essential that food production using BNF technology should be maximized in the Third World, the least work has been done on slow-growing rhizobia, which are generally found in tropical and sub-tropical soils. The majority of the developing countries are in tropical and sub-tropical regions. Except for R. japonicum, a microsymbiont partner of soybean (Glycine max), the majority of the slow-growing rhizobia belong to the cowpea group, and we refer to cowpea rhizobia as tropical rhizobia species. In this review we have tried to consolidate the recent progress made on ecology and genetics of tropical rhizobia. By using recombinant DNA technology techniques it is expected that super strains of rhizobia with desirable characteristics can be produced. One must evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of these genetically manipulated laboratory strains under field conditions. In conclusion, if one aims at combatting hunger in the Third World using BNF technology, an intensive research programme on fundamental and applied aspects of tropical rhizobia species is suggested. This involves close cooperation between molecular biologists and microbial ecologists.     

The contribution of nitrogen fixation to sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.), and the identification and characterization of part of the associated diazotrophic bacterial community

Background and aims

Rhizospheric, epiphytic and endophytic bacteria are associated with several non-legumes, colonizing their surface and inner tissues. Many of these bacteria are beneficial to their hosts, and are collectively termed plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR). Recent interest has focused particularly upon PGPR that are endophytic (i.e. PGPE), and which have been reported to be associated with important crops such as rice, wheat and sugarcane. Different mechanisms are involved in bacteria-induced plant growth promotion (PGP), including biological nitrogen fixation (BNF), mineral solubilization, production of phytohormones and pathogen biocontrol. In Uruguay, sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) is considered a strategic multipurpose crop, used for bioenergy, feed, sugar and bioethanol production. The aim of this work was to estimate the BNF contribution to Uruguayan sugarcane cultivars, as well as to identify and characterize the (culturable) putatively endophytic diazotrophic bacteria associated with these varieties.

Methods and results

Results using the ¹⁵N-dilution technique have shown that these sugarcane varieties obtain significant inputs of N from BNF (34.8–58.8% Ndfa). In parallel, a collection of 598 isolates of potentially endophytic diazotrophs was obtained from surface-sterilized stems using standard isolation techniques, and nifH ⁺ isolates from these were the subject of further studies. The bacteria were shown to belong to several genera, including Pseudomonas, Stenotrophomonas, Xanthomonas, Acinetobacter, Rhanella, Enterobacter, Pantoea, Shinella, Agrobacterium and Achromobacter. Additionally, some PGP features were studied in 35 selected isolates. The data obtained in this study represent the initial steps in a program aimed at determining the mechanisms of PGP of non-legume crops in Uruguay (such as sugarcane) with potentially beneficial plant-associated bacteria.     

Endophytic colonization and in planta nitrogen fixation by a diazotrophic Serratia sp. in rice

Nitrogen fixing endophytic Serratia sp. was isolated from rice and characterized. Re-colonization ability of Serratia sp. in the rice seedlings as endophyte was studied under laboratory condition. For detecting the re-colonization potential in the rice seedlings, Serratia sp. was marked with reporter genes (egfp and Kmr) using transposon mutagenesis. The conjugants were screened for re-colonization ability and presence of nif genes using PCR. Further, the influence of flavonoids and growth hormones on the endophytic colonization and in planta nitrogen fixation of Serratia was also investigated. The flavonoids, quercetin (3 microg/ml) and diadzein (2 microg/ml) significantly increased the re-colonization ability of the endophytic Serratia, whereas the growth hormones like IAA and NAA (5 microg/ml) reduced the endophytic colonization ability of Serratia sp. Similarly, the in planta nitrogen fixation by Serratia sp. in rice was significantly increased due to flavonoids. The inoculation of endophytic diazotrophs increased the plant biomass and biochemical constituents.     

Transformation of Two Nitrogen-fixation-related Plant Genes into Tobacco and Their Expressions

Lectins and leghemoglobins in legumes play the important roles, respectively, in recognition of host plants to their own rhizobia, and lowering the oxygen partial pressure surround the bacteroids and protecting nitrogenase from oxygen in symbiotic nitrogen-fixing nodules.In order to investigate the non-leguminous recognition of rhizobial bacteria relating to nitrogen fixation, plant expression vectors containing pea lectin gene (pl) and Parasponia hemoglobin gene (phb) have been, respectively, constructed in a plasmid and the plasmid has been introduced into tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) using Agrobacterium tumefaciens (Smith et Townsend) Conn as a vehicle for transformation. PCR and Southern blot demonstrated that the two genes were integrated into the genome of the tobacco plants. Histochemical staining for GUS activity, Western blotting,and in situ hybridization of pea lectin showed that they were expressed at translational level in the plants. These results may provide a clue for exploring whether Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. viciae could extend its host range and make the transgenic tobacco plants have the possibility of being symbiotic, or associative to nitrogen fixation.     

固氮相关的两个植物基因转化烟草及其表达

豆科植物凝集和血红蛋白分别在植物识别其相应的根瘤菌和在根瘤内降低氧分压保护固氮酶的共生固氮作用中起重要作用。将豌豆（Ｐｉｓｕｍ ｓａｔｉｖａ Ｌ．）凝集素基因（ｐｌ）和Ｐａｒａｑｓｐｏｎｉａ ａｎｄｅｒｓｏｎｉｉ血红蛋白基因（ｐｈｂ）构建到同一植物表达载体上,通过根癌土壤杆菌（Ａｇｒｏｂａｃｔｅｒｉｕｍ ｔｕｍｅｆａｃｉｅｎｓ（Ｓｍｉｔｈ ｅｔ Ｔｏｗｎｓｅｎｄ）Ｃｏｎｎ）介导法转化烟草（Ｎｉｃｓ     

Biological Nitrogen Fixation in Sugar Cane: A Key to Energetically Viable Biofuel Production

The advantages of producing biofuels to replace fossil energy sources are derived from the fact that the energy accumulated in the biomass is captured directly from photosynthesis and is thus renewable, and that the cycle of carbon dioxide fixation by the crop, followed by burning of the fuel makes no overall contribution to atmospheric CO₂ or, consequently, to global warming. However, these advantages are negated if large quantities of fossil fuels need to be used to grow or process the biofuel crop. In this regard, the Brazilian bioethanol program, based on the fermentation/distillation of sugar cane juice, is particularly favorable, not only because the crop is principally hand harvested, but also because of the low nitrogen fertilizer use on sugar cane in Brazil. Recent ¹⁵N and N balance studies have shown that in some Brazilian cane varieties, high yields are possible without N fertilization because the plants are able to obtain large contributions of nitrogen from plant-associated biological N₂ fixation (BNF). The N₂-fixing acid-tolerant bacterium Acetobacter diazotrophicus was first found to occur within roots, stems, and leaves of sugar cane. Subsequently, two species of Herbaspirillum also have been found to occur within the interior of all sugar cane tissues. The discovery of these, and other N₂-fixing bacteria that survive poorly in soil but thrive within plant tissue (endophytic bacteria), may account for the high BNF contributions observed in sugar cane. Further study of this system should allow the gradual elimination of N fertilizer use on sugar cane, at least in Brazil, and opens up the possibility of the extension of this efficient N₂-fixing system to cereal and other crops with consequent immense potential benefits to tropical agriculture.